LI  BRARY 

OF    THIi 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

OF" 


Received 
Accessions  No. 


27  1892         ,  1 

Shelf  No. 


30 


SATANSTOE; 


OR, 


THE     LITTLEPAGE     MANUSCRIPTS, 

nf  ijje 


BY      J.      FENIMORE      C  O  O  P  E  B. 


"The  only  amaranthine  flower  on  earth, 
Is  virtue:  the  only  treasure,  truth." — Spenser. 


COMPLETE  ANYONE-  ,F  O  L  U  M E. 


NEW    EDITION. 


NEW    YORK: 
STRINGER      AND      TOWNSEND 


1856. 


THB 


SATANSTOE. 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1845,  by 
J.  FENIMORE  COOPER 

in  the  clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Northern  District 
of  New  York. 


PREFACE.  I 

EVERY  chronicle  of  manners  has  a  certain  value. 
When  customs  are  connected  with  principles,  in  their 
origin,  development,  or  end,  such  records  have  a 
double  importance ;  and  it  is  because  we  think  we 
see  such  a  connection  between  the  facts  and  inci 
dents  of  the  Littlepage  Manuscripts,  and  certain 
important  theories  of  our  own  time,  that  we  give  the 
former  to  the  world. 

It  is  perhaps  a  fault  of  your  professed  historian,  to 
refer  too  much  to  philosophical  agencies,  and  too  lit 
tle  to  those  that  are  humbler.  The  foundations  of 
great  events,  are  often  remotely  laid  in  very  capri 
cious  and  uncalculated  passions,  motives,  or  im 
pulses.  Chance  has  usually  as  much  to  do  with  the 
fortunes  of  states,  as  with  those  of  individuals ;  or, 
if  there  be  calculations  connected  with  them  at  all, 
they  are  the  calculations  of  a  power  superior  to  any 
that  exists  in  man. 

We  had  been  led  to  lay  these  Manuscripts  before 
the  world,  partly  by  considerations  of  the  above  na 
ture,  and  partly  on  account  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  two  works  we  have  named,  "  Satanstoe"  and  the 
"Chainbearer,"  relate  directly  to  the  great  New 
York  question  of  the  day,  ANTI-RENTISM  ;  which  ques 
tion  will  be  found  to  be  pretty  fully  laid  bare,  in  the 
third  and  last  book  of  the  series.  These  three  works, 

1*  (5) 


VI  PREFACE. 

which  contain  all  the  Littlepage  Manuscripts,  do  not 
form  sequels  to  each  other,  in  the  sense  of  personal 
histories,  or  as  narratives ;  while  they  do  in  that  of 
principles.  The  reader  will  see  that  the  early  career, 
the  attachment,  the  marriage,  &c.  of  Mr.  Cornelius 
Littlepage  are  completely  related  in  the  present  book, 
for  instance ;  while  those  of  his  son,  Mr.  Mordaunt 
Littlepage,  will  be  just  as  fully  given  in  the  "  Chain- 
bearer,"  its  successor.  It  is  hoped  that  the  connec 
tion,  which  certainly  does  exist  between  these  three 
works,  will  have  more  tendency  to  increase  the  value 
of  each,  than  to  produce  the  ordinary  effect  of  what 
are  properly  called  sequels,  which  are  known  to 
lessen  the  interest  a  narrative  might  otherwise  have 
with  the  reader.  Each  of  these  three  books  has  its 
own  hero,  its  own  heroine,  and  its  own  picture  of 
manners,  complete ;  though  the  latter  may  be,  and 
is,  more  or  less  thrown  into  relief  by  its  pendants. 

We  conceive  no  apology  is  necessary  for  treating 
the  subject  of  anti-rentism  with  the  utmost  frank 
ness.  Agreeably  to  our  views  of  the  matter,  the  ex 
istence  of  true  liberty  among  us,  the  perpetuity  of 
the  institutions,  and  the  safety  of  public  morals,  are 
all  dependent  on  putting  down,  wholly,  absolutely, 
and  unqualifiedly,  the  false  and  dishonest  theories 
and  statements  that  have  been  boldly  advanced  in 
connection  with  this  subject.  In  our  view,  New 
York  is,  at  this  moment,  much  the  most  disgraced 
state  in  the  Union,  notwithstanding  she  has  never 
failed  to  pay  the  interest  on  her  public  debt ;  and  her 
disgrace  arises  from  the  fact  that  her  laws  are  tram 
pled  under  foot,  without  any  efforts,  at  all  commen 
surate  with  the  object,  being  made  to  enforce  them. 


PREFACE.  VH 

[f  words  and  professions  can  save  the  character  of  a 
community,  all  may  yet  be  well ;  but  if  states,  like 
individuals,  are  to  be  judged  by  their  actions,  and 
the  "tree  is  to  be  known  by  its  fruit,"  God  help  us ! 
For  ourselves,  we  conceive  that  true  patriotism 
consists  in  laying  bare  everything  like  public  vice, 
and  in  calling  such  things  by  their  right  names. 
The  great  enemy  of  the  race  has  made  a  deep  inroad 
upon  us,  within  the  last  ten  or  a  dozen  years,  under 
cover  of  a  spurious  delicacy  on  the  subject  of  ex 
posing  national  ills ;  and  it  is  time  that  they  who 
have  not  been  afraid  to  praise,  when  praise  was  me 
rited,  should  not  shrink  from  the  office  of  censuring, 
when  the  want  of  timely  warnings  may  be  one  cause 
of  the  most  fatal  evils.  The  great  practical  defect 
of  institutions  like  ours,  is  the  circumstance  that 
"  what  is  everybody's  business,  is  nobody's  business ;" 
a  neglect  that  gives  to  the  activity  of  the  rogue  a 
very  dangerous  ascendency  over  the  more  dilatory 
correctives  of  the  honest  man. 


SATANSTOE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  Look  you, 

Who  comes  here  :  a  young  man,  and  an  old,  in  solemn  talk.** 

As  You  Like  It. 

IT  is  easy  to  foresee  that  this  country  is  destined  to  un 
dergo  great  and  rapid  changes.  Those  that  more  properly 
belong  to  history,  history  will  doubtless  attempt  to  record, 
and  probably  with  the  questionable  veracity  and  prejudice 
that  are  apt  to  influence  the  labours  of  that  particular  muse ; 
but  there  is  little  hope  that  any  traces  of  American  society, 
in  its  more  familiar  aspects,  will  be  preserved  among  us, 
through  any  of  the  agencies  usually  employed  for  such  pur 
poses.  Without  a  stage,  in  a  national  point  of  view  at  least, 
with  scarcely  such  a  thing  as  a  book  of  memoirs  that  relate? 
to  a  life  passed  within  our  own  limits,  and  totally  without 
light  literature,  to  give  us  simulated  pictures  of  our  manners 
and  the  opinions  of  the  day,  I  see  scarcely  a  mode  by  which  the 
next  generation  can  preserve  any  memorials  of  the  distinctive 
usages  and  thoughts  of  this.  It  is  true,  they  will  have  tra 
ditions  of  certain  leading  features  of  the  colonial  society, 
but  scarcely  any  records  ;  and,  should  the  next  twenty  years 
do  as  much  as  the  last,  towards  substituting  an  entirely  new 
race  for  tho  descendants  of  our  own  immediate  fathers,  it  is 
scarcely  too  much  to  predict  that  even  these  traditions  will 
be  lost  in  the  whirl  and  excitement  of  a  throng  of  strangers 
Under  all  the  circumstances,  therefore,  I  have  come  to  a  de 
termination  to  make  an  effort,  however  feeble  it  may  prove, 
to  preserve  some  vestiges  of  household  life  in  New  York, 
at  least;  while  I  have  endeavoured  to  stimulate  certain 
friends  in  New  Jersey,  and  farther  south,  to  undertake  simi 
lar  tasks  in  those  sections  of  the  country.  What  success 


10  SATANSTOE. 

will  attend  these  last  applications,  is  more  than  I  can  say; 
but,  in  order  that  the  little  I  may  do  myself  shall  not  be  lost 
for  want  of  support,  I  have  made  a  solemn  request  in  my 
will,  that  those  who  come  after  me  will  consent  to  continue 
this  narrative,  committing  to  paper  their  own  experience,  as 
I  have  here  committed  mine,  down  as  low  at  least  as  my 
grandson,  if  I  ever  have  one.  Perhaps,  by  the  end  of  the 
latter's  career,  they  will  begin  to  publish  books  in  America, 
and  the  fruits  of  our  joint  family  labours  may  be  thought 
sufficiently  matured  to  be  laid  before  the  world. 

It  is  possible  that  which  I  am  now  about  to  write  will  be 
thought  too  homely,  to  relate  to  matters  much  too  personal 
and  private,  to  have  sufficient  interest  for  the  public  eye ; 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  loftiest  interests  of  man 
are  made  up  of  a  collection  of  those  that  are  lowly ;  and, 
that  he  who  makes  a  faithful  picture  of  only  a  single  im 
portant  scene  in  the  events  of  single  life,  is  doing  something 
towards  painting  the  greatest  historical  piece  of  his  day. 
As  I  have  said  before,  the  leading  events  of  my  time  will 
find  their  way  into  the  pages  of  far  more  pretending  works 
than  this  of  mine,  in  some  form  or  other,  with  more  or  less 
of  fidelity  to  the  truth,  and  real  events,  and  real  motives ; 
while  the  humbler  matters  it  will  be  my  office  to  record, 
will  be  entirely  overlooked  by  writers  who  aspire  to  enrol 
their  names  among  the  Tacituses  of  former  ages.  It  may 
be  well  to  say  here,  however,  I  shall  not  attempt  the  histo 
rical  mood  at  all,  but  content  myself  with  giving  the  feelings, 
incidents,  and  interests  of  what  is  purely  private  life,  con 
necting  them  no  farther  with  things  that  are  of  a  more 
general  nature,  than  is  indispensable  to  render  the  narrative 
intelligible  and  accurate.  With  these  explanations,  which 
are  made  in  order  to  prevent  the  person  who  may  happen 
first  to  commence  the  perusal  of  this  manuscript  from  throw 
ing  it  into  the  fire,  as  a  silly  attempt  to  write  a  more  silly 
fiction,  I  shall  proceed  at  once  to  the  commencement  of  my 
proper  task. 

I  was  born  on  the  3d  May,  1737,  on  a  neck  of  land,  called 
Satanstoe,  in  the  county  of  West  Chester,  and  in  the 
colony  of  New  York  ;  a  part  of  the  widely  extended  empire 
that  then  owned  tho  sway  of  His  Sacred  Majesty,  George  II., 
King  of  Great  Britain,  Ireland,  and  France;  Defender 


SATANSTOE.  11 

sf  the  Faith ;  and,  I  may  add,  the  shield  and  panoply  of  the 
Protestant  Succession ;  God  bless  him !  Before  I  say 
anything  of  my  parentage,  I  will  first  give  the  reader  some 
idea  of  the  locus  in  quo,  and  a  more  precise  notion  of  the 
spot  on  which  I  happened  first  to  see  the  light. 

A  "  neck,"  in  West  Chester  and  Long  Island  parlance, 
means  something  that  might  be  better  termed  a  "  head  and 
shoulders,"  if  mere  shape  and  dimensions  are  kept  in  view. 
Peninsula  would  be  the  true  word,  were  we  describing  things 
on  a  geographical  scale ;  but,  as  they  are,  I  find  it  neces 
sary  to  adhere  to  the  local  term,  which  is  not  altogether 
peculiar  to  our  county,  by  the  way.  The  "  neck"  or  penin 
sula  of  Satanstoe,  contains  just  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  acres  and  a  half  of  excellent  West  Chester  land ;  and 
that,  when  the  stone  is  hauled  and  laid  into  wall,  is  saying 
as  much  in  its  favour  as  need  be  said  of  any  soil  on  earth. 
It  has  two  miles  of  beach,  and  collects  a  proportionate 
quantity  of  sea-weed  for  manure,  besides  enjoying  near  a 
hundred  acres  of  salt-meadow  and  sedges,  that  are  not  in 
cluded  in  the  solid  ground  of  the  neck  proper.  As  my 
father,  Major  Evans  Littlepage,  was  to  inherit  this  estate 
from  his  father,  Capt.  Hugh  Littlepage,  it  might,  even  at  the 
time  of  rny  birth,  be  considered  old  family  property,  it  having 
indeed,  been  acquired  by  my  grandfather,  through  his  wife, 
about  thirty  years  after  the  final  cession  of  the  colony  to 
the  English  by  its  original  Dutch  owners.  Here  we  had 
lived,  then,  near  half  a  century,  when  I  was  born,  in  the 
direct  line,  and  considerably  longer  if  we  included  maternal 
ancestors ;  here  I  now  live,  at  the  moment  of  writing  these 
lines,  and  here  I  trust  my  only  son  is  to  live  after  me. 

Before  I  enter  into  a  more  minute  description  of  Satans 
toe,  it  may  be  well,  perhaps,  to  say  a  word  concerning  its 
somewhat  peculiar  name.  The  neck  lies  in  the  vicinity  of 
a  well-known  pass  that  is  to  be  found  in  the  narrow  arm  of 
the  sea  that  separates  the  island  of  Manhattan  from  its 
neighbour,  Long  Island,  and  which  is  called  Hell  Gate. 
Now,  there  is  a  tradition,  that  I  confess  is  somewhat  confined 
to  the  blacks  of  the  neighbourhood,  but  which  says  that  the 
Father  of  Lies,  on  a  particular  occasion,  when  he  was  vio 
lently  expelled  from  certain  roystering  taverns  in  the  New 
Netherlands,  made  his  exit  by  this  well-known  dangerous 


12  SATANSTOE. 

pass,  and  drawing  his  foot  somewhat  hastily  from  among 
the  lobster-pots  that  abound  in  those  waters,  leaving  behind 
him  as  a  print  of  his  passage  by  that  route,  the  Hog's  Back, 
the  Pot,  and  all  the  whirlpools  and  rocks  that  render  navi 
gation  so  difficult  in  that  celebrated  strait,  he  placed  it  hur 
riedly  upon  the  spot  where  there  now  spreads  a  large  bay 
to  the  southward  and  eastward  of  the  neck,  just  touching 
the  latter  with  the  ball  of  his  great  toe,  as  he  passed  Down- 
East  ;  from  which  part  of  the  country  some  of  our  people 
used  to  maintain  he  originally  came.  Some  fancied  resem 
blance  to  an  inverted  toe  (the  devil  being  supposed  to  turn 
everything  with  which  he  meddles,  upside-down,)  has  been 
imagined  to  exist  in  the  shape  and  swells  of  our  paternal 
acres ;  a  fact  that  has  probably  had  its  influence  in  perpetu 
ating  the  name. 

Satanstoe  has  the  place  been  called,  therefore,  from 
time  immemorial ;  as  time  is  immemorial  in  a  country  in 
which  civilized  time  commenced  not  a  century  and  a  half 
ago:  and  Satanstoe  it  is  called  to-day.  I  confess  I  am 
not  fond  of  unnecessary  changes,  and  I  sincerely  hope  this 
neck  of  land  will  continue  to  go  by  its  old  appellation,  as 
long  as  the  House  of  Hanover  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  these 
realms ;  or  as  long  as  water  shall  run  and  grass  shall  grow. 
There  has  been  an  attempt  made  to  persuade  the  neighbour 
hood,  quite  lately,  that  the  name  is  irreligious  and  unworthy 
of  an  enlightened  people,  like  this  of  West  Chester ;  but  it 
has  met  with  no  great  success.  It  has  come  from  a  Con 
necticut  man,  whose  father  they  say  is  a  clergyman  of  the 
*'  standing  order ;"  so  called,  I  believe,  because  they  stand 
up  at  prayers  ;  and  who  came  among  us  himself  in  the  cha 
racter  of  a  schoolmaster.  This  young  man,  I  understand, 
has  endeavoured  to  persuade  the  neighbourhood  that  Satans« 
toe  is  a  corruption  introduced  by  the  Dutch,  from  Devil's 
Town ;  which,  in  its  turn,  was  a  corruption  from  Dibbleston  ; 
the  family  from  which  my  grandfather's  father-in-law  pur 
chased  having  been,  as  he  says,  of  the  name  of  Dibblee. 
He  has  got  half-a-dozen  of  the  more  sentimental  part  of  our 
society  to  call  the  neck  Dibbleton ;  but  the  attempt  is  not 
likely  to  succeed  in  the  long  run,  as  we  are  not  a  people  much 
given  to  altering  the  language,  any  more  than  the  customs 
of  our  ancestors.  Besides,  my  Dutch  ancestors  did  not 


SATANSTOE.  13 

purchase  from  any  Dibblee,  no  such  family  ever  owning  tho 
place,  that  being  a  bold  assumption  of  the  Yankee  to  make 
out  his  case  the  more  readily. 

Satanstoe,  as  it  is  little  more  than  a  good  farm  in  ex 
tent,  so  it  is  little  more  than  a  particularly  good  farm  in 
cultivation  and  embellishment.  All  the  buildings  are  of 
stone,  even  to  the  hog-sties  and  sheds,  with  well-pointed 
joints,  and  field  walls  that  would  do  credit  to  a  fortified 
place.  The  house  is  generally  esteemed  one  of  the  best  in 
the  Colony,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  of  the  new  school. 
It  is  of  only  a  story  and  a  half  in  elevation,  I  admit;  but  the 
rooms  under  the  roof  are  as  good  as  any  of  that  description 
with  which  I  am  acquainted,  and  their  finish  is  such  as 
would  do  no  discredit  to  the  upper  rq^ms  of  even  a  York 
dwelling.  The  building  is  in  the  shape  of  an  L,  or  two 
sides  of  a  parallelogram,  one  of  which  shows  a  front  of 
seventy-five,  and  the  other  of  fifty  feet.  Twenty-six  feet 
make  the  depth,  from  outside  to  outside  of  the  walls.  The 
best  room  had  a  carpet,  that  covered  two-thirds  of  the  entire 
dimensions  of  the  floor,  even  in  my  boyhood,  and  there  were 
oil-cloths  in  most  of  the  better  passages.  The  buffet  in  the 
dining-room,  or  smallest  parlour,  was  particularly  admired; 
and  I  question  if  there  be,  at  this  hour,  a  handsomer  in  the 
county.  The  rooms  were  well-sized,  and  of  fair  dimen 
sions,  the  larger  parlours  embracing  the  whole  depth  of  the 
house,  with  proportionate  widths,  while  the  ceilings  were 
higher  than  common,  being  eleven  feet,  if  we  except  the 
places  occupied  by  the  larger  beams  of  the  chamber  floors. 

As  there  was  money  in  the  family,  besides  the  Neck,  and 
the  Littlepages  had  held  the  king's  commissions,  my  father 
having  once  been  an  ensign,  and  my  grandfather  a  captain, 
in  the  regular  army,  each  in  the  earlier  portion  of  his  life, 
we  always  ranked  among  the  gentry  of  the  county.  We 
happened  to  be  in  a  part  of  Westchester  in  which  were  none 
of  the  very  large  estates,  and  Satanstoe  passed  for  property 
of  a  certain  degree  of  importance.  It  is  true,  the  Morrises 
were  at  Morrisania,  and  the  Felipses,  or  Philipses,  as  these 
Bohemian  counts  were  then  called,  had  a  manor  on  the 
Hudson,  that  extended  within  a  dozen  miles  of  us,  and  a 
younger  branch  of  the  de  Lanceys  had  established  itself 
even  much  nearer,  while  the  Van  Cortlandts,  or  a  branch 
2 


14 


S AT ANSTOE. 


of  them,  too,  dwelt  near  Kingsbridge ;  but  these  were  all 
people  who  were  at  the  head  of  the  Colony,  and  with  whom 
none  of  the  minor  gentry  attempted  to  vie.  As  it  was, 
therefore,  the  Littlepages  held  a  very  respectable  position 
between  the  higher  class  of  the  yeomanry  and  those  who, 
by  their  estates,  education,  connections,  official  rank,  and 
hereditary  consideration,  formed  what  might  be  justly 
called  the  aristocracy  of  the  Colony.  Both  my  father  and 
grandfather  had  sat  in  the  Assembly,  in  their  time,  and,  as 
I  have  heard  elderly  people  say,  with  credit,  too.  As  for 
my  father,  on  one  occasion,  he  made  a  speech  that  occupied 
eleven  minutes  in  the  delivery, — a  proof  that  he  had  some 
thing  to  say,  and  which  was  a  source  of  great,  but,  I  trust, 
humble  felicitation  iifcthe  family,  down  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  and  even  afterwards. 

Then  the  military  services  of  the  family  stood  us  in  for  a 
great  deal,  in  that  day  it  was  something  to  be  an  ensign 
even  in  the  militia,  and  a  far  greater  thing  to  have  the  same 
rank  in  a  regular  regiment.  It  is  true,  neither  of  my  pre 
decessors  served  very  long  with  the  King's  troops,  my  father 
in  particular  selling  out  ai  the  end  of  his  second  campaign  ; 
but  the  military  experience,  and  I  may  add  the  military 
glory  each  acquired  in  youth,  did'  them  good  service  for  all 
the  rest  of  their  days,  Both  were  commissioned  in  the 
militia,  and  my  father  actually  rose  as  high  as  major  in 
that  branch  of  the  service,  that  Deing  the  rank  he  held,  and 
the  title  he  bore,  for  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life. 

My  mother  was  of  Dutch  extraction  on  both  sides,  her 
father  having  been  a  Hlauvelt,  and  her  morher  a  Van  Busser. 
I  have  heard  it  said  that  there  was  even  a  rerationship  be 
tween  the  Stuyvesants  and  the  Van  Cortlandts,  and  the 
Van  Bussers;  but  I  am  not  able  to  point  out  the  actual 
degree  and  precise  nature  of  the  affinity.  I  presume  it  was 
not  very  near,  or  my  information  would  have  been  more 
minute.  I  have  always  understood  that  my  mother  brought 
my  father  thirteen  hundred  pounds  for  dowry  (currency, 
not  sterling),  which,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  a  very  genteel 
fortune  for  a  young  woman  in  1733.  Now,  I  very  well 
know  that  six,  eight,  and  ten  thousand  pounds  sometimes 
fall  in,  in  this  manner,  and  even  much  more  in  the  high 
families ;  but  no  one  need  be  ashamed,  who  looks  back  fifty 


8  AT  AN  S  TOE.  15 

years,  and  finds  that  his  mother  brought  a  thousand  pounds 
to  her  husband. 

I  was  neither  an  only  child,  nor  the  eldest-born.  There 
was  a  son  who  preceded  me,  and  two  daughters  succeeded, 
but  they  all  died  in  infancy,  leaving  me  in  effect  the  only 
offspring  for  my  parents  to  cherish  and  educate.  My  little 
brother  monopolised  the  name  of  Evans,  and  living  for 
some  time  after  I  was  christened,  I  got  the  Dutch  appella 
tion  of  my  maternal  grandfather,  for  my  share  of  the  family 
nomenclature,  which  happened  to  be  Cornelius  —  Corny 
was  consequently  the  diminutive  by  which  I  was  known  to 
ail  the  whites  of  my  acquaintance,  for  the  first  sixteen  or 
eighteen  years  of  my  life,  and  to  my  parents  as  long  as 
they  lived.  Corny  Littlepage  is  not  sdbad  name,  in  itself, 
and  I  trust  they  who  do  me  the  favour  to  read  this  manu 
script,  will  lay  it  down  with  the  feeling  that  the  name  is 
none  the  worse  for  the  use  I  have  made  of  it. 

I  have  said  that  both  my  father  and  grandfather,  each  in 
his  day,  sat  in  the  assembly ;  my  father  twice,  and  my 
grandfather  only  once.  Although  we  lived  so  near  the 
borough  of  West  Chester,  it  was  not  for  that  place  they  sat, 
but  for  the  county,  the  de  Lanceys  and  the  Morrises  con 
tending  for  the  control  of  the  borough,  in  a  way  that  left 
little  chance  for  the  smaller  fishes  to  swim  in  the  troubled 
water  they  were  so  certain  to  create.  Nevertheless,  this 
political  elevation  brought  my  father  out,  as  it  might  be, 
before  the  world,  and  was  the  means  of  giving  him  a  per 
sonal  consideration  he  might  not  have  otherwise  enjoyed. 
The  benefits,  and  possibly  some  of  the  evils  of  thus  being 
drawn  out  from  the  more  regular  routine  of  our  usually 
peaceable  lives,  may  be  made  to  appear  in  the  course  of  this 
narrative, 

I  have  ever  considered  myself  fortunate  in  not  having 
been  born  in  the  earlier  and  infant  days  of  the  colony, 
when  the  interests  at  stake,  and  the  events  by  which  they 
were  influenced,  were  not  of  a  magnitude  to  give  the  mind 
and  the  hopes  the  excitement  and  enlargement  that  attend 
the  periods  of  a  more  advanced  civilization,  and  of  more 
important  incidents.  In  this  respect,  my  own  appearance 
in  this  world  was  most  happily  timed,  as  any  one  will  see 
who  will  consider  the  state  and  importance  of  the  colony  in 


16  SATANSTOE. 

the  middle  of  the  present  century.  New  York  could  not 
have  contained  many  less  than  seventy  thousand  souls,  in 
cluding  both  colours,  at  the  time  of  my  birth,  for  it  is  sup 
posed  to  contain  quite  a  hundred  thousand  this  day  on 
which  I  am  now  writing.  In  such  a  community,  a  man 
has  not  only  the  room,  but  the  materials  on  which  to  figure; 
whereas,  as  I  have  often  heard  him  say,  my  father,  when 
he  was  born,  was  one  of  less  than  half  of  the  smallest 
number  I  have  just  named.  I  have  been  grateful  for  this 
advantage,  and  I  trust  it  will  appear,  by  evidence  that  will 
be  here  afforded,  that  I  have  not  lived  in  a  quarter  of  the 
wo)  Id,  or  in  an  age,  when  and  where,  and  to  which  great 
events  have  been  altogether  strangers. 

My  earliest  recollections,  as  a  matter  of  course,  are  of 
Satansloe  and  the  domestic  fireside.  In  my  childhood  and 
youth,  I  heard  a  great  deal  said  of  the  Protestant  Succession, 
tho  House  of  Hanover,  and  King  George  II. ;  all  mixed  up 
w:th  such  names  as  those  of  George  Clinton,  Gen.  Monckton, 
Sir  Charles  Hardy,  James  de  Lancey,  and  Sir  Danvers 
Osborne,  his  official  representatives  in  the  colony.  Every 
age  has  its  old  and  its  last  wars,  and  I  can  well  remember 
that  which  occurred  between  the  French  in  the  Canadas 
and  ourselves,  in  1744.  I  was  then  seven  years  old,  and  it 
was  an  event  to  make  an  impression  on  a  child  of  that 
tender  age.  My  honoured  grandfather  was  then  living,  as 
he  was  long  afterwards,  and  he  took  a  strong  interest  in  the 
military  movements  of  the  period,  as  was  natural  for  an 
old  soldier.  New  York  had  no  connection  with  the  cele 
brated  expedition  that  captured  Louisbourg,  then  the  Gibral 
tar  of  America,  in  1745  ;  but  this  could  not  prevent  an  old 
soldier  like  Capt.  Littlepage  from  entering  into  the  affair 
with  all  his  heart,  though  forbidden  to  use  his  hand.  As 
the  reader  may  not  be  aware  of  all  the  secret  springs  that 
set  public  events  in  motion,  it  may  be  well  here  to  throw  in 
a  few  words  in  the  way  of  explanation. 

There  was  and  is  little  sympathy,  in  the  way  of  national 
feeling,  between  the  colonies  of  New  England  and  those 
which  lie  farther  south.  We  are  all  loyal,  those  of  the 
east  as  well  as  those  of  the  south-west  and  south  ;  but  there 
is,  and  ever  has  been,  so  wide  a  difference  in  our  customs, 
origins,  religious  opinions,  and  histories,  as  to  cause  a  broad 


8ATANSTOE.  17 

moral  line,  in  the  way  of  feeling,  to  be  drawn  between  the 
colony  of  New  York  and  those  that  lie  east  of  the  Byram 
river.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  most  of  the  emigrants  to 
the  New  England  states  came  from  the  west  of  England, 
where  many  of  their  social  peculiarities  and  much  of  their 
language  are  still  to  be  traced,  while  the  colonies  farther 
south  have  received  their  population  from  the  more  central 
counties,  and  those  sections  of  the  island  that  are  supposed 
to  be  less  provincial  and  peculiar.  I  do  not  affirm  that  such 
is  literally  the  fact,  though  it  is  well  known  that  we  of  New 
York  have  long  been  accustomed  to  regard  our  neighbours 
of  New  England  as  very  different  from  ourselves,  whilst,  I 
dare  say,  our  neighbours  of  New  England  have  regarded 
us  as  different  from  themselves,  and  insomuch  removed 
from  perfection. 

Let  all  this  be  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  New  England  is  a 
portion  of  the  empire  that  is  set  apart  from  the  rest,  for 
good  or  for  evil.  It  got  its  name  from  the  circumstance 
that  the  English  possessions  were  met,  on  its  western 
boundary,  by  those  of  the  Dutch,  who  were  thus  separated 
from  the  other  colonies  of  purely  Anglo-Saxon  origin,  by 
a  wide  district  that  was  much  larger  in  surface  than  the 
mother  country  itself.  I  am  afraid  there  is  something  in 
the  character  of  these  Anglo-Saxons  that  predisposes  them 
to  laugh  and  turn  up  their  noses  at  other  races ;  for  I  have 
remarked  that  the  natives  of  the  parent  land  itself,  who 
come  among  us,  show  this  disposition  even  as  it  respects 
us  of  New  York  and  those  of  New  England,  while  the 
people  of  the  latter  region  manifest  a  feeling  towards  us, 
their  neighbours,  that  partakes  of  anything  but  the  humil 
ity  that  is  thought  to  grace  that  Christian  character  to  which 
they  are  particularly  fond  of  laying  claim. 

My  grandfather  was  a  native  of  the  old  country,  however, 
and  he  entered  but  little  into  the  colonial  jealousies.  He 
had  lived  from  boyhood,  and  had  married  in  New  York,  and 
was  not  apt  to  betray  any  of  the  overweening  notions  of 
superiority  that  we  sometimes  encountered  in  native-born 
Englishmen"  though  I  can  remember  instances  in  which  he 
would  point  out  the  defects  in  our  civilization,  and  others  in 
which  he  dwelt  with  pleasure  on  the  grandeur  an.d  power 
of  his  own  island.  I  dare  say  this  was  all  right,  foi  few 
2* 


18  SATANSTOE. 

among  us  have  ever  been  disposed  to  dispute  the  just 
supremacy  of  England  in  all  things  that  are  desirable,  and 
which  form  the  basis  of  human  excellence. 

I  well  remember  a  journey  Capt.  Hugh  Littlepage  made 
to  Boston,  in  1745,  in  order  to  look  at  the  preparations  that 
were  making  for  the  great  expedition.  Although  his  own 
colony  had  no  connection  with  this  enterprise,  in  a  military 
point  of  view,  his  previous  service  rendered  him  an  object 
of  interest  to  the  military  men  then  assembled  along  the 
coast  of  New  England.  It  has  been  said  the  expedition 
against  Louisbourg,  then  the  strongest  place  in  America, 
was  planned  by  a  lawyer,  led  by  a  merchant,  and  executed 
by  husbandmen  and  mechanics ;  but  this,  though  true  as  a 
whole,  was  a  rule  that  had  its  exceptions.  There  were  many 
old  soldiers  who  had  seen  the  service  of  this  continent  in 
the  previous  wars,  and  among  them  were  several  of  my 
grandfather's  former  acquaintances.  With  these  he  passed 
many  a  cheerful  hour,  previously  to  the  day  of  sailing,  and 
I  have  often  thought  since,  that  my  presence  alone  prevented 
him  from  making  one  in  the  fleet.  The  reader  will  think  I 
was  young,  perhaps,  to  be  so  far  from  home  on  such  an 
occasion,  but  it  happened  in  this  wise :  My  excellent  mother 
thought  I  had  come  out  of  the  small-pox  with  some  symp 
toms  that  might  be  benefited  by  a  journey,  and  she  pre 
vailed  on  her  father-in-law  to  let  me  be  of  the  party  when 
he  left  home  to  visit  Boston  in  the  winter  of  1744-5.  At 
that  early  day  moving  about  was  not  always  convenient  in 
these  colonies,  and  my  grandfather  travelling  in  a  sleigh 
that  was  proceeding  east  with  some  private  stores  that  had 
been  collected  for  the  expedition,  it  presented  a  favourable 
opportunity  to  send  me  along  with  my  venerable  progenitor, 
who  very  good-naturedly  consented  to  let  me  commence  my 
travels  under  his  own  immediate  auspices. 

The  things  I  saw  on  this  occasion  have  had  a  material 
influence  on  my  future  life.  I  got  a  love  of  adventure,  and 
particularly  of  military  parade  and  grandeur,  that  has  since 
led  me  into  more  than  one  difficulty.  Capt.  Hugh  Little- 
page,  my  grandfather,  was  delighted  with  all  he  saw  until 
after  the  expedition  had  sailed,  when  he  began  to  grumble 
on  the  subject  of  the  religious  observances  that  the  piety  of 
the  Puritans  blended  with  most  of  their  other  movements. 


SATANSTOE.  19 

On  the  score  of  religion  there  was  a  marked  difference ;  £ 
may  say  there  is  still  a  marked  difference  between  New 
England  and  New  York.  The  people  of  New  England 
certainly  did,  and  possibly  may  still,  look  upon  us  of  New 
York  as  little  better  than  heathens ;  while  we  of  New  York 
assuredly  did,  and  for  anything  I  know  to  the  contrary 
may  yet,  regard  them  as  canters,  and  by  necessary  connec 
tion,  hypocrites.  I  shall  not  take  it  on  myself  to  say  which 
party  is  right;  though  it  has  often  occurred  to  my  mind  that 
it  would  be  better  had  New  England  a  little  less  self- 
righteousness,  and  New  York  a  little  more  righteousness, 
without  the  self.  Still,  in  the  way  of  pounds,  shillings  and 
pence,  we  will  not  turn  our  backs  upon  them  any  day,  being 
on  the  whole  rather  the  most  trustworthy  of  the  two  as 
respects  money ;  more  especially  in  all  such  cases  in  which 
our  neighbour's  goods  can  be  appropriated  without  having 
recourse  to  absolutely  direct  means.  Such,  at  any  rate,  is 
the  New  York  opinion,  let  them  think  as  they  please  about 
it  on  the  other  side  of  Byram. 

My  grandfather  met  an  old  fellow-campaigner,  at  Boston, 
of  the  name  of  Hight,  Major  Hight,  as  he  was  called,  who 
had  come  to  see  the  preparations,  too ;  and  the  old  soldiers 
passed  most  of  the  time  together.  The  Major  was  a  Jersey- 
man,  and  had  been  somewhat  of  a  free-liver  in  his  time, 
retaining  some  of  the  propensities  of  his  youth  in  old  age, 
as  is  apt  to  be  the  case  with  those  who  cultivate  a  vice  as 
if  it  were  a  hot-house  plant.  The  Major  was  fond  of  his 
bottle,  drinking  heavily  of  Madeira,  of  which  there  was 
then  a  good  stock  in  Boston,  for  he  brought  some  on  him 
self;  and  I  can  remember  various  scenes  that  occurred  be 
tween  him  and  my  grandfather,  after  dinner,  as  they  sat 
discoursing  in  the  tavern  on  the  progress  of  things,  and  the 
prospects  for  the  future.  Had  these  two  old  soldiers  been 
of  the  troops  of  the  province  in  which  they  were,  it  would 
have  been  "  Major"  and  "  Captain"  at  every  breath  ;  for  no 
part  of  the  earth  is  fonder  of  titles  than  our  eastern  brethren  ;* 
whfreas,  I  must  think  we  had  some  claims  to  more  true 
simplicity  of  character  and  habits,  notwithstanding  New 

*  It  will  be  remembered  Mr.  Littlepage  wrote  more  than  seventy 
years  ago,  when  this  distinction  might  exclusively  belong  to  the  East; 
but  the  Wett  has  now  some  claim  to  it,  also. 


20  SATANSTOE. 

York  has  ever  been  thought  the  most  aristocratical  of  all 
the  northern  colonies.  Having  been  intimate  from  early 
youth,  my  two  old  soldiers  familiarly  called  each  other  Joey 
and  Hodge,  the  latter  being  the  abbreviation  of  one  of  my 
grandfather's  names,  Roger,  when  plain  Hugh  was  not 
used,  as  sometimes  happened  between  them.  Hugh  Roger 
Littlepage,  I  ought  to  have  said,  was  my  grandfather's 
name. 

"  I  should  like  these  Yankees  better,  if  they  prayed  less, 
my  old  friend,"  said  the  Major,  one  day,  after  they  had  been 
discussing  the  appearances  of  things,  and  speaking  between 
the  puffs  of  his  pipe.  "  I  can  see  no  great  use  in  losing 
so  much  time,  by  making  these  halts  to  pray,  when  the  cam 
paign  is  fairly  opened." 

"  It  was  always  their  way,  Joey,"  my  grandfather  an 
swered,  taking  his  time,  as  is  customary  with  smokers.  "  I 
remember  when  we  were  out  together,  in  the  year  '17,  that 
the  New  England  troops  always  had  their  parsons,  who 
acted  as  a  sort  of  second  colonels.  They  tell  me  His  Ex 
cellency  has  ordered  a  weekly  fast,  for  public  prayers,  during 
the  whole  of  this  campaign." 

"  Ay,  Master  Hodge,  praying  and  plundering ;  so  they 
go  on,"  returned  the  Major,  knocking  the  ashes  out  of  his 
pipe,  preparatory  to  filling  it  anew ;  an  employment  that 
gave  him  an  opportunity  to  give  vent  to  his  feelings,  without 
pausing  to  puff. — "  Ay,  Master  Hodge,  praying  and  plun 
dering  ;  so  they  go  on.  Now,  do  you  remember  old  Watson, 
who  was  in  the  Massachusetts  Levies,  in  the  year  '12  ? — old 
Tom  Watson ;  he  that  was  a  sub  under  Barn  well,  in  our 
Tuscarora  expedition  ?" 

My  grandfather  nodded  his  head  in  assent,  that  being  the 
only  reply  the  avocation  of  smoking  rendered  convenient, 
just  at  that  moment,  unless  a  sort  of  affirmatory  grunt  could 
be  construed  into  an  auxiliary. 

"  Well,  he  has  a  son  going  in  this  affair ;  and  old  Torn, 
or  Colonel  Watson,  as  he  is  now  very  particular  to  be  called, 
is  down  here  with  his  wife  and  two  daughters,  to  see  the 
ensign  off.  I  went  to  pay  the  old  fellow  a  visit,  Hodge ;  and 
found  him,  and  the  mother  and  sisters,  all  as  busy  as  bees 
in  getting  young  Tom's  baggage  ready  for  a  march.  There 


1ATANSTOE.  21 

lay  his  whole  equipment  before  my  eyes,  and  I  had  a  favour 
able  occasion  to  examine  it  at  my  leisure." 

"  Which  you  did  with  all  your  might,  or  you  're  not  the 
Joe  Hight  of  the  year  '10,"  said  my  grandfather,  taking  his 
turn  with  the  ashes  and  the  tobacco-box. 

Old  Hight  was  now  puffing  away  like  a  blacksmith  who 
is  striving  to  obtain  a  white  heat,  and  it  was  some  time  before 
he  could  get  out  the  proper  reply  to  this  half-assertion,  half- 
interrogatory  sort  of  remark. 

"  You  may  be  sure  of  that,"  he  at  length  ejaculated ;  when, 
certain  of  his  light,  he  proceeded  to  tell  the  whole  story, 
stopping  occasionally  to  puff,  lest  he  should  lose  the  "  vantage 
ground  "  he  had  just  obtained.  "  What  d'ye  think  of  half- 
a-dozen  strings  of  red  onions,  for  one  item  in  a  subaltern's 
stores !" 

My  grandfather  grunted  again,  in  a  way  that  might  very 
well  pass  for  a  laugh. 

"  You  're  certain  they  were  red,  Joey  ?"  he  finally  asked. 

"As  red  as  his  regimentals.  Then  there  was  a  jug,  filled 
with  molasses,  that  is  as  big  as  yonder  demijohn ;"  glancing 
at  the  vessel  which  contained  his  own  private  stores.  "  But 
I  should  have  thought  nothing  of  these,  a  large  empty  sack 
attracting  much  of  my  attention.  I  could  not  imagine  what 
young  Tom  could  want  of  such  a  sack  ;  but,  on  broaching 
the  subject  to  the  Major,  he  very  frankly  gave  me  to  under 
stand  that  Louisbourg  was  thought  to  be  a  rich  town,  and 
there  was  no  telling  what  luck,  or  Providence  —  yes,  by 
George! — he  called  it  Providence! — might  throw  in  his  son 
Tommy's  way.  Now  that  the  sack  was  empty,  and  had  an 
easy  time  of  it,  the  girls  would  put  his  bible  and  hymn-book  in 
it,  as  a  place  where  the  young  man  would  be  likely  to  look 
for  them.  I  dare  say,  Hodge,  you  never  had  either  bible 
or  hymn-book,  in  any  of  your  numerous  campaigns  ?" 

"  No,  nor  a  plunder-sack,  nor  a  molasses-jug,  nor  strings 
of  red  onions,"  growled  my  grandfather  in  reply. 

How  well  I  remember  that  evening !  A  vast  deal  of  colo 
nial  prejudice  and  neighbourly  antipathy  made  themselves 
apparent  in  the  conversation  of  the  two  veterans;  who 
seemed  to  entertain  a  strange  sort  of  contemptuous  respect 
for  their  fellow-subjects  of  New  England;  who,  in  their 
turn,  I  make  not  the  smallest  doubt,  paid  them  off  in  kind— 


22  SATANSTOE. 

with  all  the  superciliousness  and  reproach,  and  with  many 
grains  less  of  the  respect. 

That  night,  Major  Hight  and  Capt.  Hugh  Roger  Little- 
page,  both  got  a  little  how-come-you-so,  drinking  bumpers 
to  the  success  of  what  they  called  "  the  Yankee  expedition," 
even  at  the  moment  they  were  indulging  in  constant  side 
hits  at  the  failings  and  habits  of  the  people.  These  marks 
of  neighbourly  infirmity  are  not  peculiar  to  the  people  of 
the  adjacent  provinces  of  New  York  and  of  New  England. 
I  have  often  remarked  that  the  English  think  and  talk  very 
much  of  the  French,  as  the  Yankees  speak  of  us;  while  the 
French,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  understand  their  some- 
what  unintelligible  language — which  seems  never  to  have  a 
beginning  nor  an  end — treat  the  English  as  the  Puritans  of  the 
Old  World.  As  I  have  already  intimated,  we  were  not  very 
remarkable  for  religion  in  New  York,  in  my  younger  days ; 
while  it  would  be  just  the  word,  were  I  to  say  that  religion 
was  conspicuous  among  our  eastern  neighbours.  I  remem 
ber  to  have  heard  my  grandfather  say,  he  was  once  ac 
quainted  with  a  Col.  Heathcote,  an  Englishman,  like  himself, 
by  birth,  and  a  brother  of  a  certain  Sir  Gilbert  Heathcote, 
who  was  formerly  a  leading  man  in  the  Bank  of  England. 
This  Col.  Heathcote  came  among  us  young,  and  married 
here,  leaving  his  posterity  behind  him ,  and  was  lord  of  the 
manor  of  Scarsdale  and  Mamaroneck,  in  our  county  of 
West  Chester.  Well,  this  Col.  Heathcote  told  my  grand 
father,  speaking  on  the  subject  of  religion,  that  he  had  been 
much  shocked,  on  arriving  in  this  country,  at  discovering 
the  neglected  condition  of  religion  in  the  colony ;  more 
especially  on  Long  Island,  where  the  people  lived  in  a  sort 
of  heathenish  condition.  Being  a  man  of  mark,  and  con 
nected  with  the  government,  The  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  applied  to  him  to  aid  it  in 
spreading  the  truths  of  the  bible  in  the  colony.  The  Colonel 
was  glad  enough  to  comply ;  and  I  remember  my  grand 
father  said,  his  friend  told  him  of  the  answer  he  returned  to 
these  good  persons  in  England.  "  I  was  so  struck  with  the 
heathenish  condition  of  the  people,  on  my  arriving  here,' 
he  wrote  to  them,  "  that,  commanding  the  militia  of  the 
colony,  I  ordered  the  captains  of  the  different  companies  to 
call  their  men  together,  each  Sunday  at  sunrise,  and  to  drill 


SATANSTOE.  23 

them  until  sunset ;  unless  they  would  consent  to  repair  to 
same  convenient  place,  and  listen  to  morning  and  evening 
prayer,  and  to  two  wholesome  sermons,  read  by  some  suit 
able  person,  in  which  case  the  men  were  to  be  excused  from 
drill."*  I  do  not  think  this  would  be  found  necessary  in 
New  England  at  least,  where  many  of  the  people  would  be 
likely  to  prefer  drilling  to  preaching. 

But  all  this  gossip  about  the  moral  condition  of  the  adja 
cent  colonies  of  New  York  and  New  England  is  leading  me 
from  the  narrative,  and  does  not  promise  much  for  the  con- 
nection  and  interest  of  the  remainder  of  the  manuscript. 


CHAPTER  II. 

u  I  would  there  were  no  age  between  ten  and  three-and-twenty ; 
or  that  youth  would  sleep  out  the  rest." 

Winter's  Tale. 

IT  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  say  much  of  the  first  four 
teen  years  of  my  life.  They  passed  like  the  childhood  and 
youth  of  the  sons  of  most  gentlemen  in  our  colony,  at  that 
day,  with  this  distinction,  however.  There  was  a  class 

*  On  the  subject  of  this  story,  the  editor  can  say  he  has  seen  a 
published  letter  from  Col.  Heathcote,  who  died  more  than  a  century 
since,  at  Mamaroneck,  West  Chester  Co.,  in  which  that  gentleman 
gives  the  Society  for  the  propagation  of  the  gospel  an  account  of  his 
proceedings,  that  agrees  almost  verbatim  with  the  account  of  the 
matter  that  is  here  given  by  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage.  The  house 
in  which  Col.  Heathcote  dwelt  was  destroyed  by  fare,  a  short  time 
before  the  revolution ;  but  the  property  on  which  it  stood,  and  the 
present  building,  belong  at  this  moment  to  his  great-grandson,  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Wm.  Heathcote  de  Lancey,  the  Bishop  of  Western  New  York. 

On  the  subject  of  the  plunder,  the  editor  will  remark,  that  a  near 
connection,  whose  grandfather  was  a  Major  at  the  taking  of  Louis- 
bourg,  and  who  was  subsequently  one  of  the  first  Brigadiers  appointed 
in  1775,  has  lately  shown  him  a  letter  written  to  that  officer,  during 
the  expedition,  by  his  father ;  in  which,  blended  with  a  great  deal  of 
pious  counsel,  and  some  really  excellent  religious  exhortation,  is  an 
earnest  inquiry  after  the  plunder. — EDITOR. 


24  SATANSTOE. 

among  us  which  educated  its  boys  at  home.  This  was  not 
a  very  numerous  class,  certainly,  nor  was  it  always  the 
highest  in  point  of  fortune  and  rank.  Many  of  the  large 
proprietors  were  of  Dutch  origin,  as  a  matter  of  course ;  and 
these  seldom,  if  ever,  sent  their  children  to  England  to  be 
taught  anything,  in  my  boyhood.  I  understand  that  a  few 
are  getting  over  their  ancient  prejudices,  in  this  particular, 
and  begin  to  fancy  Oxford  or  Cambridge  may  be  quite  as 
learned  schools  as  that  of  Leyden  ;  but,  no  Van,  in  my  boy 
hood,  could  have  been  made  to  believe  this.  Many  of  the 
Dutch  proprietors  gave  their  children  very  little  education, 
in  any  way  or  form,  though  most  of  them  imparted  lessons 
of  probity  that  were  quite  as  useful  as  learning,  had  the  two 
things  been  really  inseparable.  For  my  part,  while  I  admit 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  knowledge  going  up  and  down  the 
land,  that  is  just  of  the  degree  to  trick  a  fellow-creature  out 
of  his  rights,  I  shall  never  subscribe  to  the  opinion,  which 
is  so  prevalent  among  the  Dutch  portion  of  our  population, 
and  which  holds  the  doctrine  that  the  schools  of  the  New 
England  provinces  are  the  reason  the  descendants  of  the 
Puritans  do  not  enjoy  the  best  of  reputations,  in  this  respect. 
I  believe  a  boy  may  be  well  taught,  and  made  all  the  honester 
for  it ;  though,  I  admit,  there  may  be,  and  is,  such  a  thing 
as  training  a  lad  in  false  notions,  as  well  as  training  him 
in  those  that  are  true.  But,  we  had  a  class,  principally  of 
English  extraction,  that  educated  its  sons  well;  usually 
sending  them  home,  to  the  great  English  schools,  and  finish 
ing  at  the  universities.  These  persons,  however,  lived  prin 
cipally  in  town,  or,  having  estates  on  the  Hudson,  passed 
their  winters  there.  To  this  class  the  Littlepages  did  not 
belong ;  neither  their  habits  nor  their  fortunes  tempting  them 
to  so  high  a  flight.  For  myself,  I  was  taught  enough  Latin 
and  Greek  to  enter  college,  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Worden, 
an  English  divine,  who  was  rector  of  St.  Jude's,  the  parish 
to  which  our  family  properly  belonged.  This  gentleman 
was  esteemed  a  good  scholar,  and  was  very  popular  among 
the  gentry  of  the  county ;  attending  all  the  dinners,  clubs, 
races,  balls,  and  other  diversions  that  were  given  by  them, 
within  ten  miles  of  his  residence.  His  sermons  were  pithy 
and  short ;  and  he  always  spoke  of  your  half-hour  preachers, 
as  illiterate  prosers,  who  did  not  understand  how  to  condense 


SATANSTOE.  25 

their  thoughts.  Twenty  minutes  were  his  gauge,  though  1 
remember  to  have  heard  my  father  say,  he  had  known  him 
preach  all  of  twenty-two.  When  he  compressed  down  to  four 
teen,  my  grandfather  invariably  protested  he  was  delightful. 
I  remained  with  Mr.  Worden  until  I  could  translate  the 
two  first  jEneids,  and  the  whole  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  Mat 
thew,  pretty  readily;  and  then  my  father  and  grandfather, 
the  last  in  particular,  for  the  old  gentleman  had  a  great  idea 
of  learning,  began  to  turn  over  in  their  minds,  the  subject  of 
the  college  to  which  I  ought  to  be  sent.  We  had  the  choica 
of  two,  in  both  of  which  the  learned  languages  and  the 
sciences  are  taught,  to  a  degree,  and  in  a  perfection,  that  is 
surprising  for  a  new  country.  These  colleges  are  Yale,  at 
New  Haven,  in  Connecticut,  and  Nassau  Hall,  which  was 
then  at  Newark,  New  Jersey,  after  having  been  a  short 
time  at  Elizabethtown,  but  which  has  since  been  established 
at  Princeton.  Mr.  Worden  laughed  at  both ;  said  that  nei 
ther  had  as  much  learning  as  a  second-rate  English  gram 
mar-school  ;  and  that  a  lower-form  boy,  at  Eton  or  West 
minster,  could  take  a  master's  degree  at  either,  and  pass  for 
a  prodigy  in  the  bargain.  My  father,  who  was  born  in  the 
colonies,  and  had  a  good  deal  of  the  right  colony  feeling, 
was  nettled  at  this,  I  remember;  while  my  grandfather,  being 
old-country  born,  but  colony  educated,  was  at  a  loss  how  to 
view  the  matter.  The  captain  had  a  great  respect  for  his 
native  land,  and  evidently  considered  it  the  paradise  of  this 
earth,  though  his  recollections  of  it  were  not  very  distinct; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  he  loved  Old  York,  and  West  Chester 
in  particular,  where  he  had  married  and  established  himself 
at  Satan's  Toe ;  or,  as  he  spelt  it,  and  as  we  all  have  spelt 
it,  now,  this  many  a  day,  Satansloe.  I  was  present  at  the 
conversation  which  decided  the  question,  as  regarded  my 
future  education,  and  which  took  place  in  the  common  par 
lour,  around  a  blazing  fire,  about  a  week  before  Christmas, 
the  year  I  was  fourteen.  There  were  present  Capt.  Hugh 
Roger,  Major  Evans,  my  mother,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden,  and 
an  old  gentleman  of  Dutch  designation  and  extraction,  of 
the  name  of  Abraham  Van  Valkenburgh,  but  who  was  fami 
liarly  called,  by  his  friends,  'Brom  Pollock,  or  Col.  Pollock 
or  Volleck,  as  the  last  happen  to  be  more  or  less  ceremo 
nious,  or  more  or  less  Dutch.  Pollock,  I  think,  however 
3 


26  SATANSTOE. 

•was  the  favourite  pronunciation.  This  Col.  Van  Valken- 
burgh  was  an  old  brother-soldier  of  my  father's,  and,  indeed, 
a  relation,  a  sort  of  a  cousin  through  my  greatgrandmother, 
besides  being  a  man  of  much  consideration  and  substance. 
He  lived  in  Rockland,  just  across  the  Hudson,  but  never 
failed  to  pay  a  visit  to  Satanstoe  at  that  season  of  the  year. 
On  the  present  occasion,  he  was  accompanied  by  his  son 
Dirck,  who  was  my  friend,  and  just  a  year  my  junior. 

"Veil,  den,"  —  the  colonel  commenced  the  discourse  by 
saying,  as  he  tapped  the  ashes  out  of  his  pipe  for  the  second 
time  that  evening,  having  first  taken  a  draught  of  hot  flip, 
a  beverage  much  in  vogue  then,  as  well  as  now,  — "  veil, 
den,  Evans,  vat  is  your  intention  as  to  ter  poy?  Vill  he  pe 
college-l'arnt,  like  as  his  grant-fat'er,  or  only  school-l'arnt, 
like  as  his  own  fafer?"  The  allusion  to  the  grandfather 
being  a  pleasantry  of  the  colonel's,  who  insisted  ^that  all  the 
old-country  born  were  "college-l'arnt"  by  instinct. 

"  To  own  the  truth,  'Brom,"  my  father  answered,  "  this 
is  a  point  that  is  not  yet  entirely  settled,  for  there  are  dif 
ferent  opinions  as  to  the  place  to  which  he  shall  be  sent, 
even  admitting  that  he  is  to  be  sent  at  all." 

The  colonel  fastened  his  full,  projecting,  blue  eyes  on  my 
father,  in  a  way  that  pretty  plainly  expressed  surprise. 

"  Vat,  den,  is  dere  so  many  colleges,  dat  it  is  hart  to 
choose  ?"  he  said. 

"  There  are  but  two  that  can  be  of  any  use  to  us,  for 
Cambridge  is  much  too  distant  to  think  of  sending  the  boy 
so  far.  Cambridge  was  in  our  thoughts  at  one  time,  but 
that  is  given  up." 

"  Vhere,  ^den,  ist  Camprige  ?"  demanded  the  Dutchman, 
removing  his  pipe  to  ask  so  important  a  question,  a  cere 
mony  he  usually  thought  unnecessary. 

"  It  is  a  New  England  college  — near  Boston ;  not  half  a 
day's  journey  distant,  I  fancy," 

"  Don't  sent  Cornelius  dere,"  ejaculated  the  colonel,  con 
triving  to  get  these  words  out  alongside  of  the  stem  of  the 
pipe. 

"  You  think  not,  Col.  Pollock,"  put  in  the  anxious  mother; 
"  may  I  ask  the  reason  for  that  opinion  ?" 

"Too  much  Suntay,  Matam  Littlepage  —  the  poy  wilt  be 
sp'ilt  by  ter  ministers.  He  will  go  away  an  honest  lat,  and 


SATANSTOE.  27 

come  pack  a  rogue.  He  will  1'arn  how  to  bray  and  to 
cheat." 

"  Hoity  toity !  my  noble  colonel !"  exclaimed  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Worden,  affecting  more  resentment  than  he  felt. 
"  Then  you  fancy  the  clergy,  and  too  much  Sunday,  will 
be  apt  to  convert  an  honest  youth  into  a  knave !" 

The  colonel  made  no  answer,  continuing  to  smoke  very 
philosophically,  though  he  took  occasion,  while  he  drew  the 
pipe  out  of  his  mouth,  in  one  of  its  periodical  removals,  to 
make  a  significant  gesture  with  it  towards  the  rising  sun, 
which  all  present  understood  to  mean  "  down  east,"  as  it  is 
usual  to  say,  when  we  mean  to  designate  the  colonies  of 
New  England.  That  he  was  understood  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Worden,  is  highly  probable ;  since  that  gentleman  con 
tinued  to  turn  the  flip  of  one  vessel  into  another,  by  way  of 
more  intimately  blending  the  ingredients  of  the  mixture, 
quite  as  coolly  as  if  there  had  been  no  reflection  on  his 
trade. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  Yale,  friend  'Brom  ?"  asked  my 
father,  who  understood  the  dumb-show  as  well  as  any  of 
them. 

"  No  tifference,  Evans ;  dey  all  breaches  and  brays  too 
much.  Goot  men  have  no  neet  of  so  much  religion. 
Vhen  a  man  is  really  goot,  religion  only  does  him  harm. 
I  mean  Yankee  religion." 

"  I  have  another  objection  to  Yale,"  observed  Capt.  Hugh 
Roger,  "  which  is  their  English." 

"  Och  !"  exclaimed  the  Colonel — "  Deir  English  is  horri- 
ple  !  Wuss  dan  ast  to  us  Tutch." 

"  Well,  1  was  not  aware  of  that,"  observed  my  father. 
*'  They  are  English,  sir,  as  well  as  ourselves,  and  why 
should  they  not  speak  the  language  as  well  as  we  ?" 

"  Why  toes  not  a  Yorkshireman,  or  a  Cornishman,  speak 
as  veil  as  a  Lonnoner  1  I  tell  you  what,  Evans,  I  '11  pet  the 
pest  game-cock  on  ter  Neck,  against  the  veriest  tunghill  the 
parson  hast,  ter  Presitent  of  Yale  calls  p  e  e  n,  pen,  ant 
roof,  ruff — and  so  on." 

"  My  birds  are  all  game,"  put  in  the  divine;  "  I  keep  no 
other  breed." 

"  Surely,  Mr.  Worden,  you  do  not  countenance  cock 
fights  by  your  presence !"  my  mother  said,  using  as  much 


28  SATANSTOB. 

of  reproach  in  her  manner  as  comported  with  the  holy  office 
of  the  party  she  addressed,  and  with  her  own  gentle  nature. 
The  Colonel  winKed  at  my  father,  and  laughed  through  his 
pipe,  an  exploit  he  might  have  been  said  to  perform  almost 
hoimy.  My  father  smiled  in  return  ;  for,  to  own  the  truth, 
he  had  been  present  at  such  sports  on  one  or  two  occasions, 
when  the  parson's  curiosity  had  tempted  him  to  peep  in 
also  ;  but  my  grandfather  looked  grave  and  much  in  earnest. 
As  for  Mr.  Worden  himself,  he  met  the  imputation  like  a 
man.  To  do  him  justice,  if  he  were  not  an  ascetic, 
neither  was  he  a  whining  hypocrite,  as  is  the  case  with  too 
many  of  those  who  aspire  to  be  disciples  and  ministers  of 
our  blessed  Lord. 

"Why  not,  Madam  Littlepage?"  Mr.  Worden  stoutly 
demanded.  "  There  are  worse  places  than  cock-pits  ;  for, 
mark  me,  I  never  bet — no,  not  on  a  horse-race,  even ;  and 
that  is  an  occasion  on  which  any  gentleman  might  venture 
a  few  guineas,  in  a  liberal,  frank,  way.  There  are  so  few 
amusements  for  people  of  education  in  this  country,  Madam 
Littlepage,  that  one  is  not  to  be  too  particular.  If  there 
were  hounds  and  hunting,  now,  as  there  are  at  home,  you 
should  never  hear  of  me  at  a  cock-fight,  I  can  assure  you." 

"  I  must  say  I  do  not  approve  of  cock-fights,"  rejoined 
my  mother  meekly ;  "  and  I  hope  Corny  will  never  be 
seen  at  one.  No — never — never." 

"  Dere  you're  wrong,  Matam  Littlepage,"  the  Colonel 
remarked,  "  for  ter  sight  of  ter  spirit  of  ter  cocks  wilt  give 
ter  boy  spirit  himself.  My  Tirck,  dere,  goes  to  all  in  ter 
neighbourhoot,  and  he  is  a  game-cock  himself,  let  me  tell 
you.  Come,  Tirck — come — cock-a-doodle-doo  !" 

This  was  true  all  round,  as  I  very  well  knew,  young  as 
I  was.  Dirck,  who  was  as  slow-moving,  as  dull-seeming, 
and  as  anti-mercurial  a  boy  to  look  at  as  one  could  find  in 
a  thousand,  was  thorough  game  at  the  bottom,  and  he  had 
been  at  many  a  main,  as  he  had  told  me  himself.  How 
much  of  his  spirit  was  derived  from  witnessing  such  scenes 
I  will  not  take  on  me  to  affirm ;  for,  in  these  later  times,  I 
have  heard  it  questioned  whether  such  exhibitions  do  really 
improve  the  spectator's  courage  or  not.  But  Dirck  had 
pluck,  and  plenty  of  it,  and  in  that  particular,  at  least,  his 
father  was  not  mistaken.  The  Colonel's  opinion  always 


8ATANSTOE.  29 

carrfed  weight  with  my  mother,  both  on  account  of  his 
Dutch  extraction,  and  on  account  of  his  well-established 
probity  ;  for,  to  own  the  truth,  a  text  or  a  sentiment  from 
him  had  far  more  weight  with  her  than  the  same  from  the 
clergyman.  She  was  silenced  on  the  subject  of  cock- 
fighting  for  the  moment,  therefore,  which  gave  Capt.  Hugh 
Roger  further  opportunity  to  pursue  that  of  the  English 
language.  The  grandfather,  who  was  an  inveterate  lover 
of  the  sport,  would  have  cut  in  to  that  branch  of  the  dis 
course,  but  he  had  a  great  tenderness  for  my  mother,  whom 
everybody  loved  by  the  way,  and  he  commanded  himself, 
glad  to  find  that  so  important  an  interest  had  fallen  into 
hands  as  good  as  those  of  the  Colonel.  He  would  just 
as  soon  be  absent  from  church  as  be  absent  from  a  cock 
fight,  and  he  was  a  very  good  observer  of  religion. 

"  I  should  have  sent  Evans  to  Yale,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  miserable  manner  of  speaking  English  they  have  in 
New  England,"  resumed  my  grandfather;  "and  I  had  no 
wish  to  have  a  son  who  might  pass  for  a  Cornish  man.  We 
shall  have  to  send  this  boy  to  Newark,  in  New  Jersey.  The 
distance  is  not  so  great,  and  we  shall  be  certain  he  will  not 
get  any  of  your  round-head  notions  of  religion,  too.  Col. 
'Brom,  you  Dutch  are  not  altogether  free  from  these  dis 
tressing  follies. 

"  Debbie  a  pit !"  growled  the  Colonel,  through  his  pipe ; 
for  no  devotee  of  liberalism  and  latitudinarianisrn  in  religion 
could  be  more  averse  to  extra-piety  than  he.  The  Colonel, 
however,  was  not  of  the  Dutch  Reformed ;  he  was  an  Epis 
copalian,  like  ourselves,  his  mother  having  brought  this 
branch  of  the  Pollocks  into  the  church  ;  and,  consequently, 
he  entered  into  all  our  feelings  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
heart  and  hand.  Perhaps  Mr.  Worden  was  a  greater  favour 
ite  with  no  member  of  the  four  parishes  over  which  he  pre 
sided,  than  with  Col.  Abraham  Van  Valkenburgh. 

"  I  should  think  less  of  sending  Corny  to  Newark," 
added  my  mother,  "  was  it  not  for  crossing  the  water." 

"  Crossing  the  water !"  repeated  Mr.  Worden.  "  The 
Newark  we  mean,  Madam  Littlepage,  is  net  at  home :  the 
Jersey  of  which  we  speak  is  the  adjoining  colony  of  that 
name." 

"  I  am  aware  of  that,  Mr.  Worden ;  but  it  is  not  possible 
3* 


30  S  AT  ANS  TOE. 

to  get  to  Newark,  without  making  that  terrible  voyage  be 
tween  New  York  and  Powles'  Hook.  No,  sir,  it  is  impos 
sible ;  and  every  time  the  child  comes  home,  that  risk  will 
have  to  be  run.  It  would  cause  me  many  a  sleepless 
night !" 

"  He  can  go  by  Tobb's  Ferry,  Matam  Litttlepage,"  quietly 
observed  the  Colonel. 

"  Dobb's  Ferry  can  be  very  little  better  than  that  by 
Powles'  Hook,"  rejoined  the  tender  mother.  "  A  ferry  is  a 
ferry;  and  the  Hudson  will  be  the  Hudson,  from  Albany  to 
New  York.  So  water  is  water." 

As  these  were  all  self-evident  propositions,  they  produced 
a  pause  in  the  discourse  ;  for  men  do  not  deal  with  new  ideas 
as  freely  as  they  deal  with  the  old. 

"  Dere  is  a  way,  Evans^  as  you  and  I  know  py  experi 
ence,"  resumed  the  Colonel,  winking  again  at  my  father, 
"  to  go  rount  the  Hudson  altoget'er.  To  pe  sure,  it  is  a 
long  way,  and  a  pit  in  the  wools ;  but  petler  to  untertake 
dat,  than  to  haf  the  poy  lose  his  Parnin'.  Ter  journey  might 
be  made  in  two  mont's,  and  he  none  the  wuss  for  ter  exer 
cise.  Ter  Major  and  I  were  never  heartier  dan  when  we 
were  operating  on  the  he't  waters  of  the  Hutson.  I  will  tell 
Corny  the  roat." 

My  mother  saw  that  her  apprehensions  were  laughed  at, 
and  she  had  the  good  sense  to  be  silent.  The  discussion 
did  not  the  less  proceed,  until  it  was  decided,  after  an  hour 
more  of  weighing  the  pros  and  the  cons,  that  I  was  to  be 
sent  to  Nassau  Hall,  Newark,  New  Jersey,  and  was  to 
move  from  that  place  with  the  college,  whenever  that  event 
might  happen. 

"  You  will  send  Dirck  there,  too,"  my  father  added,  as 
soon  as  the  affair  in  my  case  was  finally  determined.  "  It 
would  be  a  pity  to  separate  the  boys,  after  they  have  been 
so  long  together,  and  have  got  to  be  so  much  used  to  each 
other.  Their  characters  are  so  identical,  too,  that  they 
are  more  like  brothers  than  very  distant  relatives." 

"  Dey  will  like  one  anot'er  all  de  petter  for  pein'  a  little 
tifferent,  den,"  answered  the  Colonel,  drily. 

Dirck  and  I  were  no  more  alike  than  a  horse  resembles 
a  mule. 

"  Ay,  but  Dirck  is  a  lad  who  will  do  honour  to  an  edu» 


SATANSTOE. 


31 


cation — he  is  solid  and  thoughtful,  and  learning  will  not  be 
thrown  away  on  such  a  youth.  Was  he  in  England,  that 
sedate  lad  might  get  to  be  a  bishop." 

"  I  want  no  pishops  in  my  family,  Major  Evans ;  nor  do 
I  want  any  great  1'arnin'.  None  of  us  ever  saw  a  college, 
and  we  have  got  on  fery  veil.  I  am  a  colonel  and  a  mem- 
per  ;  my  fat'er  was  a  colonel  and  a  memper ;  and  my  grand- 
fat'er  woult  have  peen  a  colonel  and  a  memper,  but  dere 
vast  no  colonels  and  no  mempers  in  his  time  ;  though  Tirck, 
yonter  can  be  a  colonel  and  a  memper,  wit'out  crosting  dat 
terriple  ferry  that  frightens  Matam  Littlepage  so  much." 

There  was  usually  a  little  humour  in  all  Col.  Follock  said 
and  did,  though  it  must  be  owned  it  was  humour  after  a 
very  Dutch  model ;  Dutch-built  fun,  as  Mr.  Worden  used 
to  call  it.  Nevertheless,  it  was  humour;  and  there  was 
enough  of  Holland  in  all  the  junior  generations  of  the  Lit- 
tlepages  to  enjoy  it.  My  father  understood  him,  and  my 
mother  did  not  hear  the  last  of  the  «*  terriple  ferry"  until 
not  only  I,  but  the  college  itself,  had  quitted  Newark  ;  for 
the  institution  made  another  remove  to  Princeton,  the  place 
where  it  is  now  to  be  found,  some  time  before  I  got  my 
degree. 

"  You  have  got  on  very  well  without  a  college  education, 
as  all  must  admit,  colonel,"  answered  Mr.  Worden ;  "  but 
there  is  no  telling  how  much  better  you  would  have  got  on, 
had  you  been  an  A.  M.  You  might,  in  the  last  case,  have 
been  a  general  and  a  member  of  the  King's  council." 

"  Dere  ist  no  yeneral  in  ter  colony,  the  commander-in- 
chief  and  His  Majesty's  representatif  excepted,"  returned 
the  colonel.  "  We  are  no  Yankees,  to  make  yenerals  of 
ploughmen." 

Hereupon,  the  colonel  and  my  father  knocked  the  ashes 
out  of  their  pipes  at  the  same  instant,  and  both  laughed, — 
a  merriment  in  which  the  parson,  my  grandfather,  my  dear 
mother,  and  I  myself  joined.  Even  a  negro  boy,  who  was 
ftbout  my  own  age,  and  whose  name  was  Jacob,  or  Jaap, 
but  who  was  commonly  called  Yaap,  grinned  at  the  remark, 
for  he  had  a  sovereign  contempt  for  Yankee  Land,  and  all 
it  contained ;  almost  as  sovereign  a  contempt  as  that  which 
Yankee  Land  entertained  for  York  itself,  and  its  Dutch 
population.  Dirck  was  the  only  person  present  who  Icoked 


S AT ANSTOE. 


grave ;  but  Dirck  was  habitually  as  grave  and  sedate,  as  M 
he  had  been  born  to  become  a  burgomaster. 

"  Quite  right,  Brom,"  cried  my  father ;  "  colonels  are 
good  enough  for  us ;  and  when  we  do  make  a  man  that, 
even,  we  are  a  little  particular  about  his  being  respectable 
and  fit  for  the  office.  Nevertheless,  learning  will  not  hurt 
Corny,  and  to  college  he  shall  go,  let  you  do  as  you  please 
with  Dirck.  So  that  matter  is  settled,  and  no  more  need  be 
said  about  it." 

And  it  was  settled,  and  to-  college  I  did  go,  and  that  by 
the  awful  Powles'  Hook  Ferry,  in  the  bargain.  Near  as  we 
lived  to  town,  I  paid  my  first  visit  to  the  island  of  Manhat 
tan  the  day  my  father  and  myself  started  for  Newark.  I 
had  an  aunt,  who  lived  in  Queen  Street,  not  a  very  cr'reat 
distance  from  the  fort,  and  she  had  kindly  invited  me^and 
my  father  to  pass  a  day  with  her,  on  our  way  to  New  Jer 
sey,  which  invitation  had  been  accepted.  In  my  youth,  the 
world  in  general  was  not  as  much  addicted  to  gadding  about 
as  it  is  now  getting  to  be,  and  neither  my  grandfather  nor 
my  father  ordinarily  went  to  town,  their  calls  to  the  legisla 
ture  excepted,  more  than  twice  a  year.  My  mother's  visits 
were  still  less  frequent,  although  Mrs.  Legge,  my  aunt,  was 
her  own  sister.  Mr.  Legge  was  a  lawyer  of  a  good  deaTof 
reputation,  but  he  was  inclined  to  be  in  the  opposition,  or 
espoused  the  popular  side  in  politics ;  and  there  could  be  no 
great  cordiality  between  one  of  that  frame  of  mind  and  our 
family.  I  remember  we  had  not  been  in  the  house  an  hour, 
before  a  warm  discussion  took  place  between  my  uncle  and 
my  father,  on  the  question  of  the  right  of  the  subject  to  can 
vass  the  acts  of  the  government.  We  had  left  home  imme 
diately  after  an  early  breakfast,  in  order  to  reach  town  be 
fore  dark ;  but  a  long  detention  at  the  Harlem  Ferry,  com 
pelled  us  to  dine  in  that  village,  and  it  was  quite  night  be 
fore  we  stopped  in  Queen  Street.  My  aunt  ordered  "supper 
early,  in  order  that  we  might  get  early  to  bed,  to  recover 
from  our  fatigue,  and  be  ready  for  sight-seeing  next  day. 
We  sat  down  to  supper,  therefore,  in  less  than  an  hour  after 
our  arrival ;  and  it  was  while  we  were  at  table  that  the  dis 
cussion  I  have  mentioned  took  place.  It  would  seem  that  a 
party  had  been  got  up  in  town  among  the  disloyal,  and  I 
might  almost  say,  the  disaffected,  which  claimed  for  the 


SATANSTOE.  33 

subject  the  right  to  know  in  what  manner  every  shilling  of 
the  money  raised  by  taxation  was  expended.  This  very 
obviously  improper  interference  with  matters  that  did  not 
belong  to  them,  on  the  part  of  the  ruled,  was  resisted  by  the 
rulers,  and  that  with  energy ;  inasmuch  as  such  inquiries 
and  investigations  would  naturally  lead  to  results  that  might 
bring  authority  into  discredit,  make  the  governed  presuming 
and  prying  in  their  dispositions,  and  cause  much  derange 
ment  and  inconvenience  to  the  regular  and  salutary  action 
of  government.  My  father  took  the  negative  of  the  propo 
sition,  while  my  uncle  maintained  its  affirmative.  I  well 
remember  that  my  poor  aunt  looked  uneasy,  and  tried  to 
divert  the  discourse  by  exciting  our  curiosity  on  a  new 
subject. 

"  Corny  has  been  particularly  lucky  in  having  come  to 
town  just  as  he  has,  since  we  shall  have  a  sort  of  gala-day, 
to-morrow,  for  the  blacks  and  the  children." 

I  was  not  in  the  least  offended  at  being  thus  associated 
with  the  negroes,  for  they  mingled  in  most  of  the  amuse 
ments  of  us  young  people;  but  I  did  not  quite  so  well  like  to 
be  ranked  with  the  children,  now  I  was  fourteen,  and  on  my 
way  to  college.  Notwithstanding  this,  I  did  not  fail  to  be 
tray  an  interest  in  what  was  to  come  next,  by  my  counte 
nance.  As  for  my  father,  he  did  not  hesitate  about  asking 
an  explanation. 

"  The  news  came  in  this  morning,  by  a  fast-sailing  sloop, 
that  the  Patroon  of  Albany  is  on  his  way  to  New  York,  in 
his  coach-and-four,  and  with  two  out-riders,  and  that  he  may 
be  expected  to  reach  town  in  the  course  of  to-morrow. 
Several  of  my  acquaintances  have  consented  to  let  their 
children  go  out  a  little  way  into  the  country,  to  see  him 
come  in  ;  and,  as  for  the  blacks,  you  know,  it  is  just  as  weU 
to  give  them  permission  to  be  of  the  party,  as  half  of  them 
would  otherwise  go  without  asking  it." 

"  This  will  be  a  capital  opportunity  to  let  Corny  see  a 
little  of  the  world,"  cried  my  father,  "  and  I  would  not  have 
him  miss  it  on  any  account.  Besides,  it  is  useful  to  teach 
young  people  early,  the  profitable  lesson  of  honouring  their 
superiors  and  seniors." 

"  In  that  sense  it  may  do,"  growled  my  uncle,  who, 
though  so  much  of  a  latitudinarian  in  his  political  opinions, 


34  SATANSTOE. 

never  failed  to  inculcate  all  useful  and  necessary  maxims 
for  private  life;  "the  Patroon  of  Albany  being  one  of  the 
most  respectable  and  affluent-of  all  our  gentry.  I  have  no 
objections  to  Corny's  going  to  see  that  sight ;  and,  I  hope, 
my  dear,  you  will  let  both  Pompey  and  Ca?sar  be  of  the 
party.  It  won't  hurt  the  fellows  to  see  the  manner  in  which 
the  Palroon  has  his  carriage  kept  and  horses  groomed." 

Pompey  and  Caesar  were  of  the  party,  though  the  latter 
did  not  join  us  until  Pompey  had  taken  me  all  round  the 
town,  to  see  the  principal  sights ;  it  being  understood  that 
the  Patroon  had  slept  at  Kingsbridge,  and  would  not  be 
likely  to  reach  town  until  near  noon.  New  York  was  cer 
tainly  not  the  place,  in  1751,  it  is  to-day;  nevertheless,  it 
was  a  large  and  important  town,  even  when  I  went  to  col 
lege,  containing  not  less  than  twelve  thousand  souls,  blacks 
included.  The  Town  Hall  is  a  magnificent  structure,  stand 
ing  at  the  head  of  Broad  Street;  and  thither  Pompey  led  me, 
even  before  my  aunt  had  come  down  to  breakfast.  I  could 
scarcely  admire  that  fine  edifice  sufficiently  ;  which,  for  size, 
architecture  and  position,  has  scarcely  now  an  equal  in  all 
the  colonies.  It  is  true,  that  the  town  has  much  improved, 
within  the  last  twenty  years ;  but  York  was  a  noble  place, 
even  in  the  middle  of  this  century  !  After  breakfast,  Pom 
pey  and  I  proceeded  up  Broadway,  commencing  near  the 
fort,  at  the  Bowling  Green,  and  walking  some  distance  be 
yond  the  head  of  Wall  Street,  or  quite  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 
Nor  did  the  town  stop  here ;  though  its  principal  extent  is, 
or  was  then,  along  the  margin  of  the  East  River.  Trinity 
Church  I  could  hardly  admire  enough  either ;  for,  it  appeared 
to  me,  that  it  was  large  enough  to  contain  all  the  church- 
people  in  the  colony.*  It  was  a  venerable  structure,  which 

*  The  intelligent  reader  will,  of  course,  properly  appreciate  tho 
provincial  admiration  of  Mr.  Littlepage,  who  naturally  fancied  his 
own  best  was  other  people's  best.  The  Trinity  of  that  day  was 
burned  in  the  great  fire  of  1776.  The  edifice  that  succeeded  it,  at 
the  peace  of  1783,  has  already  given  place  to  a  successor,  that  has 
more  claim  to  be  placed  on  a  level  with  modern,  English,  town  church- 
architecture,  than  any  other  building  in  the  Union.  When  another 
shall  succeed  this,  which  shall  be  as  much  larger  and  more  elaborated 
than  this  is  compared  to  its  predecessor,  and  still  another  shall  suc» 
ceed,  which  shall  bear  the  same  relation  to  that,  then  the  country  will 
possess  an  edifice  that  is  on  a  level  with  the  first-rate  Gothic  cathe* 


SATANSTOE.  35 

had  then  felt  the  heats  of  summer  and  the  snows  of  winter 
on  its  roofs  and  walls,  near  half  a  century,  and  it  still  stands 
a  monument  of  pious  zeal  and  cultivated  taste.  There  were 
other  churches,  belonging  to  other  denominations,  of  course, 
that  were  well  worthy  of  being  seen ;  to  say  nothing  of  the 
markets.  I  thought  I  never  should  tire  of  gazing  at  the  mag 
nificence  of  the  shops,  particularly  the  silversmiths' ;  some 
of  which  must  have  had  a  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  plate 
in  their  windows,  or  otherwise  in  sight.  I  might  say  as 
much  of  the  other  shops,  too,  which  attracted  a  just  portion 
of  my  admiration. 

About  eleven,  the  number  of  children  and  blacks  that 
were  seen  walking  towards  the  Bowery  Road,  gave  us  notice 
that  it  was  time  to  be  moving  in  that  direction.  We  were 
in  the  upper  part  of  Broadway,  at  the  time,  and  Pompey 
proceeded  forthwith  to  fall  into  the  current,  making  all  the 
haste  he  could,  as  it  was  thought  the  traveller  might  pass 
down  towards  the  East  River,  and  get  into  Queen  Street, 
before  we  could  reach  the  point  at  which  he  would  diverge, 
ft  is  true,  the  old  town  residence  of  Stephen  de  Lancey, 
which  stood  at  the  head  of  Broadway,  just  above  Trinity,* 
had  been  converted  into  a  tavern,  and  we  did  not  know  but 
the  Patroon  might  choose  to  alight  there,  as  it  was  then  the 
principal  inn  of  the  town  ;  still,  most  people  preferred 
Queen  Street ;  and  the  new  City  Tavern  was  so  much  out 
of  the  way,  that  strangers  in  particular  were  not  fond  of 
frequenting  it.  Csesar  came  up,  much  out  of  breath,  just 
as  we  got  into  the  country. 

Quitting  Broadway,  we  went  along  the  country  road 
that  then  diverged  to  the  east,  but  which  is  now  getting  to 
contain  a  sort  of  suburb,  and  passing  the  road  that  leads 

dral-architecture  of  Europe.  It  would  be  idle  to  pretend  that  the  new 
Trinity  is  without  faults ;  some  of  which  are  probably  the  result  of 
circumstances  and  necessity ;  but,  if  the  respectable  architect  who 
has  built  it,  had  no  other  merit,  he  would  deserve  the  gratitude  of 
every  man  of  taste  in  the  country,  by  placing  church-towers  of  a 
proper  comparative  breadth,  dignity  and  proportions,  before  the  eyea 
of  its  population.  The  diminutive  meanness  of  American  church, 
towers,  has  been  an  eye-sore  to  every  intelligent,  travelled  American, 
since  the  country  was  settled.  —  EDITOR. 
•  The  site  of  the  present  City  Hotel. — ED. 


36 


SATAN8TOJB. 


into  Queen  Street,  we  felt  more  certain  of  meeting  the  tra 
veller,  whose  carriage  we  soon  learned  had  not  gone  by.  Asi 
there  were  and  are  several  taverns  for  country  people  in 
this  quarter,  most  of  us  went  quite  into  the  country,  pro 
ceeding  as  far  as  the  villas  of  the  Bayards,  de  Lanceys, 
and  other  persons  of  mark  ;  of  which  there  are  several 
along  the  Bowery  Road.  Our  party  stopped  under  some 
cherry-trees,  that  were  not  more  than  a  mile  from  town, 
nearly  opposite  to  Lt.  Gov.  de  Lancey's  country-house;* 
but  many  boys  &c.  went  a  long  long  way  into  the  country, 
finishing  the  day  by  nutting  and  gathering  apples  in  the 
grounds  of  Petersfield  and  Rosehill,  the  country  residences 
of  the  Stuyvesant  and  Watt,  or,  as  the  last  is  now  called 
the  Watts,  families.  I  was  desirous  of  going  thus  far  my 
self,  for  I  had  heard  much  of  both  of  those  grand  places; 
but  Pompey  told  me  it  would  be  necessary  to  be  back  for 
dinner  by  half-past  one,  his  mistress  having  consented  to 
postpone  the  hour  a  little,  in  oyder  to  indulge  my  natural 
desire  to  see  all  I  could  while  in  town. 

We  were  not  altogether  children  and  blacks  who  were 
out  on  the  Bowery  Road  that  day, — many  tradesmen  were 
among  us,  the  leathern  aprons  making  a  goodly  parade  on 
the  occasion.  I  saw  one  or  two  persons  wearing  swords,  ho 
vering  round,  in  the  lanes  and  in  the  woods, — proof  that  even 
gentlemen  had  some  desire  to  see  so  great  a  person  as  the  Pa- 
troon  of  Albany  pass.  I  shall  not  stop  to  say  much  of  the 
transit  of  the  Patroon.  He  came  by  about  noon,  as  was  ex 
pected,  and  in  his  coach-and-four,  with  two  outriders,  coach 
man,  &c.  in  liveries,  as  is  usual  in  the  families  of  the  gentry, 
and  with  a  team  of  heavy,  black,  Dutch-looking  horses, 
that  I  remember  Csesar  pronounced  to  be  of  the  true  Flemish 
breed.  The  Patroon  himself  was  a  sightly,  well-dressed 
gentleman,  wearing  a  scarlet  coat,  flowing  wig,  and  cocked 
hat ;  and  I  observed  that  the  handle  of  his  sword  was 
of  solid  silver.  But  my  father  wore  a  sword  with  a  solid 
silver  handle,  too,  a  present  from  my  grandfather  when  the 
former  first  entered  the  army.f  He  bowed  to  the  salutations 

*  Now,  de  Lancey  Street. — ED. 

t  This  patroon  must  have  been  Jeremiah  Van  Rensselaer,  who  lived 
to  be  a  bachelor  of  forty  before  he  married.    If  there  be  no  anachre- 


SATANSTOE.  37 

he  received  in  passing,  and  I  thought  all  the  spectators  were 
pleased  with  the  noble  sight  of  seeing  such  an  equipage  pass 
into  the  town.  Such  a  sight  does  not  occur  every  day  in 
the  colonies,  and  I  felt  exceedingly  happy  that  it  had  been 
my  privilege  to  witness  it. 

A  little  incident  occurred  to  myse-lf  that  rendered  this 
day  long  memorable  to  me.  Among  the  spectators  assem 
bled  along  the  road  on  this  occasion,  were  several  groups 
of  girls,  who  belonged  to  the  better  class,  and  who  had  been 
induced  to  come  out  into  the  country,  either  led  by  curiosity 
or  by  the  management  of  the  different  sable  nurses  who  had 
them  in  charge.  In  one  of  these  groups  was  a  girl  of 
about  ten,  or  possibly  of  eleven  years  of  age,  whose  dress, 
air,  and  mien,  early  attracted  my  attention.  I  thought  her 
large,  bright,  full,  blue  eye,  particularly  winning;  and  boys 
of  fourteen  are  not  altogether  insensible  to  beauty  in  the 
other  sex,  though  they  are  possibly  induced  oftener  to  re 
gard  it  in  those  who  are  older  than  in  those  who  are  younger 
than  themselves.  Pompey  happened  to  be  acquainted  with 
Silvy,  the  negress  who  had  the  care  of  my  little  beauty,  to 
whom  he  bowed,  and  addressed  as  Miss  Anneke  (Anna  Cor 
nelia,  abbreviated).  Anneke  I  thought  a  very  pretty  name 
too,  and  some  little  advances  were  made  towards  an  ac 
quaintance  by  means  of  an  offering  of  some  fruit  that  I  had 
gathered  by  the  way-side.  Things  were  making  a  con- 

nism,  this  gentleman  married  Miss  Van  Cortlandt,  one  of  the  seven 
daughters  of  Stephanas  Van  Cortlandt,  who  was  proprietor  of  the 
great  manor  of  Cortlandt,  West  Chester  county,  and  who,  in  his  day, 
was  the  principal  personage  of  the  colony.  The  seven  daughters  of 
this  Colonel  Van  Cortlandt,  by  marrying  into  the  families  of  de  Lan- 
cey,  Bayard,  Van  Rensellaer,  Beekman,  M'Gregor — Skinner,  &c.  &c. 
brought  together  a  connection  that  was  long  felt  in  the  political  affairs 
of  New  York.  The  Schuylers  were  related  through  a  previous  mar- 
riage,  and  many  of  the  Long  Island  and  other  families  of  weight  by 
other  alliances.  This  connection  formed  the  court  party,  which  was 
resisted  by  an  opposition  led  by  the  Livingstons,  Morris,  and  other 
names  of  their  connection.  This  old  bachelor,  Jeremiah  Van  Rensel 
laer,  believing  he  would  never  marry,  alienated,  in  behalf  of  his  next 
brother  and  anticipated  heir,  the  Greenbush  and  Claverack  estates,— 
portions  of  those  vast  possessions  which,  in  our  day,  and  principally 
through  the  culpable  apathy,  or  miserable  demagogueism  of  those 
who  have  been  entrusted  with  the  care  of  the  public  weal,  have  been 
the  pretext  for  violating  some  of  the  plainest  laws  of  morality  that 
God  has  communicated  to  man. — EDITOR. 
4 


38  SATANSTOE. 

siderable  progress,  and  I  had  asked  several  questions,  such 
as  whether  •  Miss  Anneke  had  ever  seen  a  patroon,'  which 
'was  the  greatest  personage,  a  patroon  or  a  governor, 
whether  *  a  nobleman  who  had  lately  been  in  the  colony,  as 
a  military  officer,  or  the  patroon,  would  be  likely  to  have 
the  finest  coach,'  when  a  butcher's  boy,  who  was  passing, 
rudely  knocked  an  apple  out  of  Anneke's  hand,  and  caused 
he/  to  shed  a  tear. 

I  took  fire  at  this  unprovoked  outrage,  and  lent  the  fellow 
a  dig  in  the  ribs  that  gave  him  to  understand  the  young 
lady  had  a  protector.  My  chap  was  about  my  own  age 
and  weight,  and  he  surveyed  me  a  minute  with  a  species  of 
contempt,  and  then  beckoned  me  to  follow  him  into  an 
orchard  that  was  hard  by,  but  a  little  out  of  sight.  In  spite 
of  Anneke's  entreaties  1  went,  and  Pompey  and  Cesar  fol 
lowed.  We  had  both  stripped  before  the  negroes  got  up, 
for  they  were  in  a  hot  discussion  whether  I  was  to  be  per 
mitted  to  fight  or  not.  Pompey  maintained  it  would  keep 
dinner  waiting ;  but  CaBsar,  who  had  the  most  bottom,  as 
became  his  name,  insisted,  as  I  had  given  a  blow,  I  was 
bound  to  render  satisfaction.  Luckily,  Mr.  Worden  was 
very  skilful  at  boxing,  and  he  had  given  both  Dirck  and 
myself  many  lessons,  so  that  I  soon  found  myself  the  best 
fellow.  I  gave  the  butcher's  boy  a  bloody  nose  and  a  black 
eye,  when  he  gave  in,  and  I  came  off  victor ;  not,  however, 
without  a  facer  or  two,  that  sent  me  to  college  with  a  repu 
tation  I  hardly  merited,  or  that  of  a  regular  pugilist. 

When  I  returned  to  the  road,  after  this  breathing,  Anneke* 
had  disappeared,  and  I  was  so  shy  and  silly  as  not  to  ask 
her  family  name  from  Csesar  the  Great,  or  Pompey  tho 
Little. 

*  Pronounced  On-na-fcay,  I  believe.  —  EDITOR 


SATANSTOE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

«  Believe  me,  thou  talkest  of  an  admirable  conceited  fellow.  Hae 
ne  any  unbraided  wares  1" 

"Pr'vthee,  bring  him  in  ;  and  let  him  approach  singing." 

Winter's  Tale. 

I  HAVE  no  intention  of  taking  the  reader  with  me  through 
college,  where  I  remained  the  usual  term  of  four  years. 
These  four  years  were  not  idled  away,  as  sometimes  happens, 
but  were  fairly  improved.  I  read  all  of  the  New  Testament, 
in  Greek ;  several  of  Cicero's  Orations ;  every  line  of 
Horace,  Satires  and  Odes  ;  four  books  of  the  Iliad ;  Tully 
de  Oratore,  throughout;  besides  paying  proper  attention  to 
geography,  mathematics,  and  other  of  the  usual  branches. 
Moral  philosophy,  in  particular,  was  closely  attended  to, 
senior  year,  as  well  as  Astronomy.  We  had  a  telescope 
that  showed  us  all  four  of  Jupiter's  moons.  In  other  re 
spects,  Nassau  might  be  called  the  seat  of  learning.  One 
of  our  class  purchased  a  second-hand  copy  of  Euripides,  in 
town,  and  we  had  it  in  college  all  of  six  months ;  though  it 
was  never  my  good  fortune  to  see  it,  as  the  young  man  who 
owned  it,  was  not  much  disposed  to  let  profane  eyes  view 
his  treasure.  Nevertheless,  I  am  certain  the  copy  of  the 
work  was  in  college ;  and  we  took  good  care  to  let  the  Yale 
men  hear  of  it  more  than  once.  I  do  not  believe  they  ever 
saw  even  the  outside  of  an  Euripides.  As  for  the  telescope, 
I  can  testify  of  my  own  knowledge  ;  having  seen  the  moons 
of  Jupiter  as  often  as  ten  times,  with  my  own  eyes,  aided 
by  its  magnifiers.  We  had  a  tutor  who  was  expert  among 
the  stars,  and  who,  it  was  generally  believed,  would  have 
been  able  to  see  the  ring  of  Saturn,  could  be  have  found  the 
planet ;  which,  as  it  turned  out,  he  was  unable  to  do. 

My  four  college  years  were  very  happy  years.  The  va 
cations  came  often,  and  I  went  home  invariably  ;  passing  a 
day  or  two  with  my  aunt  Legge,  in  going  or  coming.  The 
acquisition  of  knowledge  was  always  agreeable  to  me ;  and 
I  may  say  it  without  vanity,  I  trust,  at  this  time  of  life,  I 
got  the  third  honour  of  my  class.  We  should  have  gradu- 


40  5ATANSTOE. 

ated  four,  but  one  of  our  class  was  compelled  to  quit  us  at 
the  end  of  junior  year,  on  account  of  his  health.  He  was 
an  unusually  hard  student,  and  it  was  generally  admitted 
that  he  would  have  taken  the  first  honour  had  he  remained. 
We  were  thought  to  acquit  ourselves  with  credit  at  the  com 
mencement  ;  although  I  afterwards  heard  my  grandfather 
tell  Mr.  Worden,  that  he  was  of  opinion  the  addresses  would 
have  been  mare  masculine  and  commendable,  had  less  been 
said  of  the  surprising  growth,  prosperity,  and  power  of  the 
colonies.  He  had  no  objection  to  the  encouragement  of  a 
sound,  healthful,  patriotic  feeling;  but  to  him  it  appeared 
that  something  more  novel  might  have  better  pleased  the 
audience.  This  may  have  been  true,  as  all  three  of  us  had 
something  to  say  on  the  subject ;  and  it  is  a  proof  how  much 
we  thought  alike,  that  our  language  was  almost  as  closely 
assimilated  as  our  ideas. 

As  for  the  Powles  Hook  Ferry,  it  was  an  unpleasant  place 
I  will  allow  ;  though  by  the  time  I  was  junior  I  thought 
nothing  of  it.  My  mother,  however,  was  glad  when  it  was 
passed  for  the  last  time.  I  remember  the  very  first  words 
that  escaped  her,  after  she  had  kissed  me  on  my  final  return 
from  college,  were,  "Well,  Heaven  be  praised,  Corny! 
you  will  never  again  have  any  occasion  to  cross  that  fright 
ful  ferry,  now  college  is  completely  done  with!"  My 
poor  mother  little  knew  how  much  greater  dangers  I  was 
subsequently  called  on  to  encounter,  in  another  direciion. 
Nor  was  she  minutely  accurate  in  her  anticipations,  since  I 
have  crossed  the  ferry  in  question,  several  times  in  later  life ; 
the  distances  not  appearing  to  be  as  great,  of  late  years,  as 
they  certainly  seemed  to  be  in  my  youth. 

It  was  a  feather  in  a  young  man's  cap  to  have  gone  through 
college,  in  1755,  which  was  the  year  I  graduated.  It  is  true, 
the  University  men,  who  had  been  home  for  their  learning, 
were  more  or  less  numerous ;  but  they  were  of  a  class  that 
held  itself  aloof  from  the  smaller  gentry,  and  most  of  them 
Were  soon  placed  in  office,  adding  the  dignity  of  public  trusts 
to  their  acquisitions — the  former  in  a  manner  overshadowing 
the  latter.  But,  I  was  nearer  to  the  body  of  the  community, 
and  my  position  admitted  more  of  comparative  excellence, 
as  it  might  be.  No  one  thinks  of  certain  habits,  opinions, 
manners,  and  tastes,  in  the  circle  where  they  are  expected 


SATANSTOE.  41 

to  be  found ;  but,  it  is  a  different  thing  where  all,  or  any  of 
these  peculiarities  form  the  exception.  I  am  afraid  more 
was  anticipated  from  my  college  education  than  has  ever 
been  realized  ;  but  I  will  say  this  for  my  Alma  Mater ,  that 
I  am  not  conscious  my  acquisitions  at  college  have  ever  been 
of  any  disadvantage  to  me ;  and  I  rather  think  they  have, 
in  some  degree  at  least,  contributed  to  the  little  success  that 
has  attended  my  humble  career. 

I  kept  up  my  intimacy  with  Dirck  Pollock,  during  the 
whole  time  I  remained  at  college.  He  continued  the  classics 
with  Mr.  Worden,  for  two  years  after  I  left  the  school ;  but 
I  could  not  discover  that  his  progress  amounted  to  anything 
worth  mentioning.  The  master  used  to  tell  the  Colonel, 
that  "Dirck's  progress  was  slow  and  sure ;"  and  this  did 
not  fail  to  .satisfy  a  man  who  had  a  constitutional  aversion 
to  much  of  the  head-over-heels  rate  of  doing  things  among 
the  English  population.  Col.  Pollock,  as  we  always  called 
him,  except  when  my  father  or  grandfather  asked  him  to 
drink  a  glass  of  wine,  or  drank  his  health  in  the  first  glass 
after  the  cloth  was  removed,  when  he  was  invariably  styled 
Col.  Van  Valkenburgh,  at  full  length  ;  but  Col.  Pollock  was 
quite  content  that  his  son  and  heir  should  know  no  more 
than  he  knew  himself,  after  making  proper  allowances  for 
the  difference  in  years  and  experience.  By  the  time  I  re 
turned  home,  however,  a  material  change  had  been  made 
in  the  school.  Mr.  Worden  fell  heir  to  a  moderate  compe 
tency  at  home,  and  he  gave  up  teaching,  a  business  he  had 
never  liked,  accordingly.  It  was  even  thought  he  was  a 
shade  less  zealous  in  his  parochial  duties,  after  the  acquisi 
tion  of  this  fifty  pounds  sterling  a-year,  than  he  had  previ 
ously  been ;  though  I  am  far  from  insisting  on  the  fact's 
being  so.  At  any  rate,  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  £50  per 
annum  to  render  Mr.  Worden  apathetic  on  the  subject  of  the 
church ;  for  he  continued  a  most  zealous  churchman  down 
to  the  hour  of  his  death ;  and  this  was  something,  even  ad 
mitting  that  he  was  not  quite  so  zealous  as  a  Christian. 
The  church  being  the  repository  of  the  faith,  if  not  the  faith 
ttself,  it  follows  that  its  friends  are  akin  to  religion,  though 
not  absolutely  religious.  I  have  always  liked  a  man  the 
better  for  being  what  I  call  a  sound,  warm-hearted  church 
man,  though  his  habits  may  have  been  a  little  free. 
4* 


42  SATANSTOE. 

It  was  necessary  to  supply  the  place  left  vacant  by  the 
emigration  of  Mr.  Worden,  or  to  abandon  a  school  that  had 
got  to  be  the  nucleus  of  knowledge  in  Westchester.  There 
was  a  natural  desire,  at  first,  to  obtain  another  scholar  from 
home ;  but  no  such  person  offering,  a  Yale  College  graduate 
was  accepted,  though  not  without  sundry  rebellions,  and 
plenty  of  distrust.  The  moment  he  appeared,  Col.  Pollock, 
and  Major  Nicholas  Oothout,  another  respectable  Dutch 
neighbour,  withdrew  their  sons ;  and  from  that  hour  Dirck 
never  went  to  school  again.  It  is  true,  Westchester  was 
not  properly  a  Dutch  county,  like  Rockland,  and  Albany, 
and  Orange,  and  several  others  along  the  river ;  but  it  had 
many  respectable  families  in  it,  of  that  extraction,  without 
alluding  to  such  heavy  people  as  the  Van  Cortlands,  Felipses, 
Beekmans,  and  two  or  three  others  of  that  stamp.  Most  of 
our  important  county  families  had  a  different  origin,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  Morrises,  of  Morrisania,  and  of  the  Manor  of 
Fordham,  the  Pells,  of  Pelham,  the  Heathcotes,  of  Maman- 
neck,  the  branch  of  the  de  Lanceys,  at  West  Farms,  the 
Jays,  of  Rye,  &c.,  &c.  All  these  came  of  the  English,  or 
the  Huguenot  stock.  Among  these  last,  more  or  less  Dutch 
blood  was  to  be  found,  however ;  though  Dutch  prejudices 
were  a  good  deal  weakened.  Although  few  of  these  persons 
sent  their  boys  to  this  school,  they  were  consulted  in  the 
selection  of  a  master;  and  I  have  always  supposed  that 
their  indifference  was  the  cause  that  the  county  finally  ob 
tained  the  services  of  a  Yankee,  from  Yale. 

The  name  of  the  new  pedagogue  was  Jason  Newcome, 
or,  as  he  pronounced  the  latter  appellation  himself,  Noo- 
come.  As  he  affected  a  pedantic  way  of  pronouncing  the 
last  syllable  long,  or  as  it  was  spelt,  he  rather  called  him 
self  Noo-comb,  instead  of  Newcurn,  as  is  the  English  mode, 
whence  he  soon  got  the  nick-name  of  Jason  Old  Comb 
among  the  boys ;  the  lank,  orderly  arrangement  of  his  jet- 
black,  and  somewhat  greasy-looking  locks,  contributing 
their  share  towards  procuring  for  him  the  sobriquet,  as  I 
believe  the  French  call  it.  As  this  Mr.  Newcome  will  have 
a  material  part  to  play  in  the  succeeding  portions  of  this 
narrative,  it  may  be  well  to  be  a  little  more  minute  in  his 
description. 

I  found  Jason  fully  established  in  the  school,  on  my  re- 


SAT ANSTOE.  43 

turn  from  college.  I  remember  we  met  very  much  like 
two  strange  birds,  that  see  each  other  for  the  first  time  on 
the  same  dunghill ;  or  two  quadrupeds,  in  their  original  in 
terview  in  a  common  herd.  It  was  New  Haven  against 
Newark  ;  though  the  institution,  after  making  as  many  mi 
grations  as  the  House  of  Loretto,  finally  settled  down  at 
Princeton,  a  short  time  before  I  took  my  degree.  I  was 
consequently  entitled  to  call  myself  a  graduate  of  Newark, — 
a  sort  of  scholar  that  is  quite  as  great  a  curiosity  in  the  country 
as  a  Queen  Anne's  farthing,  or  a  book  printed  in  the  fifteenth 
century.  I  remember  the  first  evening  we  two  spent  in 
company,  as  well  as  if  the  meeting  occurred  only  last  night. 
It  was  at  Satanstoe,  and  Mr.  Worden  was  present.  Jason 
had  a  liberal  supply  of  puritanical  notions,  which  were  bred 
in-and-in  in  his  moral,  and  I  had  almost  said,  in  his  physical 
system ;  nevertheless,  he  could  unbend ;  and  I  did  not  fail 
to  observe  that  very  evening,  a  gleam  of  covert  enjoyment 
on  his  sombre  countenance,  as  the  hot-stuff,  the  cards,  and 
the  pipes  were  produced,  an  hour  or  two  before  supper, — a 
meal  we  always  had  hot  and  comfortable.  This  covert 
satisfaction,  however,  was  not  exhibited  without  certain 
misgiving  looks,  as  if  the  neophyte  in  these  innocent  en 
joyments  distrusted  his  right  to  possess  his  share.  I  re 
member  in  particular,  when  my  mother  laid  two  or  three 
new,  clean  packs  of  cards  on  the  table,  that  Jason  cast  a 
stealthy  glance  over  his  shoulder,  as  if  to  make  certain  that 
the  act  was  not  noted  by  the  minister,  or  the  "neighbours." 
The  neighbours!  —  what  a  contemptible  being  a  man  be 
comes,  who  lives  in  constant  dread  of  the  comments  and 
judgments  of  these  social  supervisors !  and  what  a  wretch, 
the  habit  of  deferring  to  no  principle  better  than  their  deci 
sion  has  made  many  a  being,  who  has  had  originally  the 
materials  of  something  better  in  him,  than  has  been  deve 
loped  by  the  surveillance  of  ignorance,  envy,  vulgarity, 
gossiping  and  lying!  In  those  cases  in  which  education, 
social  position,  opportunities  and  experience  have  made  any 
material  difference  between  the  parties,  the  man  who  yields 
to  such  a  government,  exhibits  the  picture  of  a  giant  held 
in  bondage  by  a  pigmy.  I  have  always  remarked,  too,  that 
they  who  are  best  qualified  to  sit  in  this  neighbourhood- 
tribunal,  generally  keep  most  aloof  from  it,  as  repugnant  to 


44  SATANSTOE. 

their  tastes  and  habits,  thus  leaving  its  decisions  to  the  por 
tion  of  the  community  least  qualified  to  make  such  as  are 
either  just  or  enlightened. 

I  felt  a  disposition  to  laugh  outright,  at  the  manner  in 
which  Jason  betrayed  a  sneaking  consciousness  of  crime, 
as  he  saw  my  meek,  innocent,  simple-minded,  just  and 
warm-hearted  mother  lay  the  cards  on  the  table  that  even 
ing.  His  sense  of  guilt  was  purely  conventional,  while 
my  mother's  sense  of  innocence  existed  in  the  absence  of 
false  instruction,  and  in  the  purity  of  her  intentions.  One 
had  been  taught  no  exaggerated  and  false  notion  of  sin,— 
nay,  a  notion  that  is  impious,  as  it  is  clearly  impious  in 
man  to  torture  acts  that  are  perfectly  innocent,  per  se,  into 
formal  transgressions  of  the  law  of  God, — while  the  other  had 
been  educated  under  the  narrow  and  exaggerated  notions 
of  a  provincial  sect,  and  had  obtained  a  species  of  con 
science  that  was  purely  dependent  on  his  miserable  school 
ing.  I  heard  rny  grandfather  say  that  Jason  actually  showed 
the  white  of  his  eyes  the  first  time  he  saw  Mr.  Worden 
begin  to  deal,  and  he  still  looked,  the  whole  time  we  were 
at  whist,  as  if  he  expected  some  one  might  enter,  and  tell 
of  his  delinquency.  I  soon  discovered  that  Jason  had 
a  much  greater  dread  of  being  told  of,  than  of  doing  such 
things  as  taking  a  hand  at  whist,  or  drinking  a  glass  of 
punch,  from  which  I  inferred  his  true  conscience  drew  per 
ceptible  distinctions  between  the  acts  and  the  penalties  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  see  inflicted  on  them.  He  was 
much  disposed  to  a  certain  sort  of  frailty ;  but  it  was  a 
sneaking  disposition  to  the  last. 

But,  the  amusing  part  of  the  exhibition,  that  first  evening 
of  our  acquaintance,  was  Mr.  Worden's  showing  off  his 
successor's  familiarity  with  the  classics.  Jason  had  not  the 
smallest  notion  of  quantity ;  and  he  pronounced  the  Latin 
very  much  as  one  would  read  Mohawk,  from  a  vocabulary 
made  out  by  a  hunter,  or  a  savant  of  the  French  Academy. 
As  I  had  received  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Worden's  own  instruc 
tion,  I  could  do  better,  and,  generally,  my  knowledge  of  the 
classics  went  beyond  that  of  Jason's.  The  latter's  English, 
too,  was  long  a  source  of  amusement  with  us  all,  though  my 
grandfather  often  expressed  strong  disgust  at  it.  Even  Col. 
Pollock  did  not  scruple  to  laugh  at  Newcome's  English, 


SATANSTOE.  45 

which,  as  he  frequently  took  occasion  to  say,  "  hat  a  ferry 
remarkaple  sount  to  it."  As  this  peculiarity  of  Jason's  ex 
tended  a  good  way  into  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  in  the  part 
of  the  country  in  which  he  was  born,  it  may  be  well  to 
explain  what  I  mean  a  little  more  at  large. 

Jason  was  the  son  of  an  ordinary  Connecticut  farmer,  of 
the  usual  associations,  and  with  no  other  pretension  to  edu 
cation  than  such  as  was  obtained  in  a  common  school,  or  any 
reading  which  did  not  include  the  Scriptures,  some  half 
dozen  volumes  of  sermons  and  polemical  works,  all  the 
latter  of  which  were  vigorously  as  well  as  narrowly  one-sided, 
and  a  few  books  that  had  been  expressly  written  to  praise 
New  England,  and  to  undervalue  all  the  rest  of  the  earth. 
As  the  family  knew  nothing  of  the  world  beyond  the  limits 
of  its  own  township,  and  an  occasional  visit  to  Hartford,  on 
what  is  called  "  election-day,"  Jason's  early  life  was  neces 
sarily  of  the  most  contracted  experience.  His  English,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  was  just  that  of  his  neighbourhood  and 
class  of  life  ;  which  was  far  from  being  either  very  elegant 
or  very  Doric.  But  on  this  rustic,  provincial,  or  rather, 
hamlet  foundation,  Jason  had  reared  a  superstructure  of 
New  Haven  finish  and  proportions.  As  he  kept  school 
before  he  went  to  college,  while  he  was  in  college,  and  after 
he  left  college,  the  whole  energies  of  his  nature  became 
strangely  directed  to  just  such  reforms  of  language  as  would 
be  apt  to  strike  the  imagination  of  a  pedagogue  of  his  ca 
libre.  In  the  first  place,  he  had  brought  from  home  with 
him  a  great  number  of  sounds  that  were  decidedly  vulgar 
and  vicious,  and  with  these  in  full  existence  in  himself,  he 
had  commenced  his  system  of  reform  on  other  people.  As 
is  common  with  all  tyros,  he  fancied  a  very  little  knowledge 
sufficient  authority  for  very  great  theories.  His  first  step 
was  to  improve  the  language,  by  adapting  sound  to  spelling 
and  he  insisted  on  calling  angel,  aw-gel,  because  a-n  spek 
an ;  chamber,  c/mm-ber,  for  the  same  reason ;  and  so  on 
through  a  long  catalogue  of  similarly  constructed  words. 
"  English,"  he  did  not  pronounce  as  "/n«-lish,"  but  as  "Eng 
lish"  for  instance ;  and  "  nothing"  (anglice  m/fAing),  as 
noth-ing ;  or,  perhaps,  it  were  better  to  say  "  nawthin'." 
While  Jason  showed  himself  so  much  of  a  purist  with  these 
and  many  other  words,  he  was  guilty  of  some  of  the  grossest 


46  SATANSTOB. 

possible  mistakes,  that  were  directly  in  opposition  to  his  own 
theory.  Thus,  while  he  affectedly  pronounced  "none," 
(nun,)  as  "known,"  he  did  not  scruple  to  call  "stone,'1 
*  stun,"  and  "  home,"  "  hum."  The  idea  of  pronouncing 
"  clerk,"  as  it  should  be,  or  "  dark,"  greatly  shocked  him, 
as  it  did  to  call  "  hearth,"  "  h'arth ;"  though  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  call  this  good  earth  of  ours,  the  "  'arth."  "Been,"  he 
pronounced  "  ben,"  of  course,  and  "  roof,"  he  called  "  ruff," 
in  spite  of  all  his  purism. 

From  the  foregoing  specimens,  half  a  dozen  among  a 
thousand,  the  reader  will  get  an  accurate  notion  of  this 
weakness  in  Jason's  character.  It  was  heightened  by  the 
fact  that  the  young  man  commenced  his  education,  such  as 
it  was,  late  in  life,  and  it  is  rare  indeed  that  either  know 
ledge  or  tastes  thus  acquired  are  entirely  free  from  exag 
geration.  Though  Jason  was  several  years  my  senior,  like 
myself  he  was  a  recent  graduate,  and  it  will  be  easy 
enough  to  imagine  the  numberless  discussions  that  took 
place  between  us,  on  the  subject  of  our  respective  acquisi 
tions.  I  say  '  respective,'  instead  of  mutual  acquisitions, 
because  there  was  nothing  mutual  about  it,  or  them.  Neither 
our  classics,  our  philosophy,  nor  our  mathematics  would 
seem  to  have  been  the  same,  but  each  man  apparently  had 
a  science,  or  a  language  of  his  own,  and  which  had  been 
derived  from  the  institution  where  he  had  been  taught.  In 
the  classics  I  was  much  the  strongest,  particularly  in  the 
quantities,  but  Jason  had  the  best  of  it  in  mathematics.  In 
spite  of  his  conceit,  his  vulgarity,  his  English,  his  provin 
cialism,  and  the  awkwardness  with  which  he  wore  his  tar 
dily  acquired  information,  this  man  had  strong  points  about 
him,  and  a  native  shrewdness  that  would  have  told  much 
more  in  his  favour  had  it  not  been  accompanied  by  a  cer 
tain  evasive  manner,  that  caused  one  constantly  to  suspect 
his  sincerity,  and  which  often  induced  those  who  were  ac 
customed  to  him,  to  imagine  he  had  a  sneaking  propensity 
that  rendered  him  habitually  hypocritical.  Jason  held  New 
York  in  great  contempt ;  a  feeling  he  was  not  always  dis 
posed  to  conceal,  and  of  necessity  his  comparisons  were 
usually  made  with  the  state  of  things  in  Connecticut,  and 
much  to  the  advantage  of  the  latter.  To  one  thing,  how- 
ever,  he  was  much  disposed  to  defer,  and  that  was  money. 


SATANSTGE.  47 

Connecticut  had  not  then,  nor  has  it  now,  a  single  indivi 
dual  who  would  be  termed  rich  in  New  York ;  and  Jason, 
spite  of  his  provincial  conceit,  spite  of  his  overweening  no 
tions  of  moral  and  intellectual  superiority,  could  no  more 
prevent  this  profound  deference  for  wealth,  than  he  could 
substitute  for  a  childhood  of  vulgarity  and  neglect,  the  grace, 
refinement  and  knowledge  which  the  boys  of  the  more  for 
tunate  classes  in  life  obtain  as  it  might  be  without  knowing 
it.  Yes,  Jason  bowed  down  to  the  golden  calf,  in  spite  of 
his  puritanism,  his  love  of  liberty,  his  pretension  to  equality 
and  the  general  strut  of  his  disposition  and  manner. 

Such  is  an  outline  of  the  character  and  qualifications  of  the 
man  whom  I  found,  on  my  return  from  college,  at  the  head 
of  Mr.  VVorden's  school.  We  soon  became  acquainted,  and 
I  do  not  know  which  got  the  most  ideas  from  the  other,  in 
course  of  the  first  fortnight.  Our  conversation  and  argu 
ments  were  free,  almost  to  rudeness,  and  little  mercy  was 
shown  to  our  respective  prejudices.  Jason  was  ultra  level 
ing  in  his  notions  of  social  intercourse,  while  I  had  the 
opinions  of  my  own  colony,  in  which  the  distinctions  of 
classes  are  far  more  strongly  marked  than  is  usual  in  New 
England,  out  of  Boston,  and  its  immediate  association.  Still 
Jason  deferred  to  names,  as  well  as  money,  though  it  was 
in  a  way  very  different  from  my  own.  New  England  was, 
and  is,  loj-ul  to  the  crown ;  but  having  the  right  to  name 
many  of  its  own  governors,  and  possessing  many  other 
political  privileges  through  the  charters  that  were  granted  to 
her  people,  in  order  to  induce  them  to  settle  that  portion  of 
the-  continent,  they  do  not  always  manifest  the  feeling  in  a 
way  to  be  agreeable  to  those  who  have  a  proper  reverence 
for  the  crown.  Among  other  points,  growing  out  of  this 
difference  in  training,  Jason  and  I  had  sundry  arguments  on 
the  subject  of  professions,  trades  and  callings.  It  was  evi 
dent  he  fancied  the  occupation  of  a  schoolmaster  next  in 
honour  to  that  of  a  clergyman.  The  clergy  formed  a  spe 
cies  of  aristocracy,  according  to  his  notions ;  but  no  man 
could  commence  life  under  more  favourable  auspices,  than 
by  taking  a  school.  The  following  dialogue  occurred  be 
tween  us,  on  this  subject ;  and  I  was  so  much  struck  with 
the  novelty  of  my  companion's  notions,  as  to  make  a  note  of 
it,  as  soon  as  we  parted. 


48  SATAN8TOE. 

"  I  wonder  your  folks  don't  think  of  giving  you  suthin' 
to  do,  Corny,"  commenced  Jason,  one  day,  after  our  ac 
quaintance  had  ripened  into  a  sort  of  belligerent  intimacy. 
"  You  're  near  nineteen,  now,  and  ought  to  begin  to  think 
of  bringing  suthin'  in,  to  pay  for  all  the  outgoin's." 

By  "  your  folks,"  Jason  meant  the  family  of  Littlepage; 
and  the  blood  of  that  family  quickened  a  little  within  me, 
at  the  idea  of  being  profitably  employed,  in  the  manner  in 
timated,  because  I  had  reached  the  mature  and  profitable 
age  of  nineteen. 

"  I  do  not  understand  you  exactly,  Mr.  Newcome,  by 
your  bringing  something  in,"  answered  I,  with  dignity 
enough  to  put  a  man  of  ordinary  delicacy  on  his  guard. 

"  Bringing  suthin'  in  is  good  English,  I  hope,  Mr.  Little- 
page.  I  mean  that  your  edication  has  cost  your  folks 
enough  to  warrant  them  in  calling  on  you  for  a  little  inte 
rest.  How  much  do  you  suppose,  now,  has  been  spent  on 
your  edication,  beginning  at  the  time  you  first  went  to  Mr. 
Worden,  and  leaving  off  the  day  you  quitted  Newark?"  • 

"  Really,  I  have  not  the  smallest  notion  ;  the  subject  has 
never  crossed  my  mind." 

"  Did  the  old  folks  never  say  anything  to  you  about  it  ? 
— never  foot  up  the  total  ?" 

"  I  am  sure  it  is  not  easy  to  see  how  this  could  be  done, 
for  I  could  not  help  them  in  the  least." 

«'  But  your  father's  books  would  tell  that,  as  doubtless  it 
all  stands  charged  against  you." 

"  Stands  charged  against  me  ! — How,  sir !  do  you  imagine 
my  father  makes  a  charge  in  a  book  against  me,  whenever 
he  pays  a  few  pounds  for  my  education?" 

"  Certainly ;  how  else  could  he  tell  how  much  you  have 
had  ? — though,  on  reflection,  as  you  are  an  only  child,  it 
does  not  make  so  much  difference.  You  probably  will  get 
all,  in  the  end." 

"  And  had  I  a  brother,  or  a  sister,  do  you  imagine,  Mr. 
Newcome,  each  shilling  we  spent  would  be  set  down  in  a 
book,  as  charges  against  us  ?" 

"  How  else,  in  natur',  could  it  be  known  which  had  had 
the  most,  or  any  sort  of  justice  be  done  between  you  ?" 

"  Justice  would  be  done,  by  our  common  father's  giving 
to  each  just  as  much  of  his  own  money  as  he  might  see  fit. 


8ATANSTOE.  49 

What  is  it  to  me,  if  he  chose  to  give  my  brother  a  few  nun- 
dred  pounds  more  than  he  chose  to  give  to  me?  The  money 
is  his,  and  he  may  do  with  it  as  he  choose." 

"  An  hundred  pounds  is  an  awful  sight  of  money !"  ex 
claimed  Jason,  betraying  by  his  countenance  how  deeply  he 
felt  the  truth  of  this.  "  If  you  have  had  money  in  such 
large  sums,  so  much  the  more  reason  why  you  should  set 
about  doing  suthin'  to  repay  the  old  gentleman.  Why  not 
set  up  a  school  ?" 

"  Sir!" 

"  Why  not  set  up  a  school,  I  say?  You  might  have  had 
this  of  mine,  had  you  been  a  little  older ;  but  once  in,  fast 
in,  with  me.  Still,  schools  are  wanted,  and  you  might  get 
a  tolerable  good  recommend.  I  dare  say  your  tutor  would 
furnish  a  certificate." 

This  word  "recommend"  was  used  by  Jason  for  " recom 
mendation  ;"  the  habit  of  putting  verbs  in  the  places  of  sub 
stantives,  and  vice  versa,  being  much  in  vogue  with  him. 

"  And  do  you  really  think  that  one  who  is  destined  to 
inherit  Satanstoe,  would  act  advisedly  to  set  up  a  school? 
Recollect,  Mr.  Newcome,  that  my  father  and  grandfather 
have  both  borne  the  king's  commission ;  and  that  the  last 
bears  it,  at  this  very  moment,  through  his  representative,  the 
Governor." 

"  What  of  all  that?  What  better  business  is  there  than 
keeping  a  good  school  ?  If  you  are  high  in  your  notions, 
get  to  be  made  a  tutor  in  that  New  Jersey  college.  Recol 
lect  that  a  tutor  in  a  college  is  somebody.  I  did  hope  for 
such  a  place,  but  having  a  Governor's  son  against  me,  as  a 
candidate,  there  was  no  chance." 

"  A  Governor's  son  a  candidate  for  a  tutorship  in  a  col 
lege  !  You  are  pleased  to  trifle  with  me,  Mr.  Newcome." 

"  It 's  true  as  the  gospel.  You  thought  some  smaller  fish 
put  me  down,  but  he  was  the  son  of  the  Governor.  But, 
why  do  you  give  that  vulgar  name  to  your  father's  farm— 
Satanstoe  is  not  decent ;  yet,  Corny,  I've  heard  you  use 
it  before  your  own  mother  !" 

"  That  you  may  hear  every  day,  and  my  mother  use  it, 
too,  before  her  own  son.  What  fault  do  you  find  with  the 
name  of  Satanstoe  ?" 

"  Fault ! — In  the  first  place  it  is  irreligious  and  profane ; 
5  • 


60  SATANSTOE. 

then  it  is  ungenteel  and  vulgar,  and  only  fit  to  be  used  in 
low  company.  Moreover,  it  is  opposed  to  history  and 
revelation,  the  Evil  One  having  a  huff,  if  you  will,  but  no 
toes.  Such  a  name  couldn't  stand  a  fortnight  before  public 
opinion  in  New  England." 

"  Yes,  that  may  be  very  true ;  but  we  do  not  care 
enough  for  His  Satanic  Majesty  in  the  colony  of  New  York, 
to  treat  him  with  so  much  deference.  As  for  the  *  huffs/ 
as  you  call  them " 

"  Why,  what  do  you  call  'em,  Mr.  Littlepage  ?" 

"  Hoofs,  Mr.  Newcome ;  that  is  the  New  York  pronun 
ciation  of  the  word." 

"  I  care  nothing  for  York  pronunciation,  which  every 
body  knows  is  Dutch  and  full  of  corruptions.  You  Ml  never 
do  anything  worth  speaking  of  in  this  colony,  Corny,  until 
you  pay  more  attention  to  your  schools." 

"  I  do  not  know  what  you  call  attention,  Mr.  Jason,  unless 
we  have  paid  it  already.  Here,  I  have  the  caption,  or 
rather  preamble  of  a  law,  on  that  very  subject,  that  I  copied 
out  of  the  statute-book  on  purpose  to  show  you,  and  which 
I  will  now  read  in  order  to  prove  to  you  how  things  really 
stand  in  the  colony." 

"  Read  away,"  rejoined  Jason,  with  an  air  of  sufficient 
disdain. 

Read  I  did,  and  in  the  following  sententious  and  compre 
hensive  language,  viz  : — "  Whereas  the  youth  of  this  colony 
are  found,  by  manifold  experience,  to  be  not  inferior  in 
their  natural  geniuses  to  the  youth  of  any  other  country  in 
the  world,  therefore  be  it  enacted,  &c."* 

*This  quotation  would  seem  to  be  accurate,  and  it  is  somewhat 
curious  to  trace  the  reason  why  a  preamble  so  singular  should  have 
been  prefixed  to  the  law.  Was  it  not  owing-  to  the  oft-repeated  and 
bold  assertions  of  Europeans,  that  man  deteriorated  in  this  hemisphere  ? 
Any  American  who  has  been  a  near  observer  of  European  opinion, 
even  in  our  day,  must  have  been  frequently  amused  at  the  expression 
of  surprise  and  doubt  that  so  often  escapes  the  residents  of  the  Old 
World,  when  they  discover  anything  that  particularly  denotes  talent 
coming  from  the  New.  I  make  little  question  that  this  extraordinary 
preamble  is  a  sort  of  indirect  answer  to  an  imputation  that  was 
known  to  be  as  general,  in  that  age,  as  it  was  felt  to  be  unjust.  My 
own  experience  would  lead  me  to  think  native  capacity  more  abun 
dant  in  America  than  in  the  midland  countries  of  Europe,  and  quite 
as  frequently  met  with  as  in  Italy  itself;  and  J  have  often  heard 


SATANSTOE.  51 

u  There,  sir,"  I  said  in  exultation,  "  you  have  chapter 
and  verse  for  the  true  character  of  the  rising  generation  in 
the  colony  of  New  York." 

"And  what  does  that  preamble  lead  to?"  demanded 
Jason,  a  little  staggered  at  finding  the  equality  of  our  New 
York  intellects  established  so  clearly  by  legislative  enact 
ment. 

"  It  is  the  preamble  to  an  act  establishing  the  free  schools 
of  New  York,  in  which  the  learned  languages  have  now 
been  taught  these  twenty  years;  and  you  will  please  to  re 
member  that  another  law  has  not  long  been  passed  estab 
lishing  a  college  in  town." 

"  YVell,  curious  laws  sometimes  do  get  into  the  statute- 
books,  and  a  body  must  take  them  as  he  finds  them.  I 
dare  say  Connecticut  might  have  a  word  to  say  on  the  same 
subject,  if  you  would  give  her  a  chance.  Have  you  heard 
the  wonderful  news  from  Philadelphia,  Corny,  that  has  just 
come  among  us  ?" 

"  I  have  heard  nothing  of  late ;  for  you  know  I  have 
been  over  in  Rockland,  with  Dirck  Pollock,  for  the  last  two 
weeks,  and  news  never  reaches  that  family,  or  indeed  that 
county." 

"  No,  that  is  true  enough,"  answered  Jason,  drily  ;  "News 
and  a  Dutchman  have  no  affinity,  or  attraction,  as  we  would 
say  in  philosophy ;  though  there  is  gravitation  enough  on 
one  side,  ha  !  boy  ?" 

Here  Jason  laughed  outright,  for  he  was  always  delighted 
whenever  he  could  get  a  side-hit  at  the  children  of  Holland, 
whom  he  appeared  to  regard  as  a  race  occupying  a  position 
between  the  human  family  and  the  highest  class  of  the 
unintellectual  animals.  But  it  is  unnecessary  to  dwell 
longer  on  this  dialogue,  my  object  being  merely  to  show  the 
general  character  of  Jason's  train  of  thought,  in  order  to 

teachers,  both  English  and  French,  admit  that  their  American  and 
West-India  scholars  were  generally  the  readiest  and  cleverest  in  their 
schools.  The  great  evil  under  which  this  country  labours,  in  this 
respect,  is  the  sway  of  numbers,  which  is  constantly  elevating  medi 
ocrity  and  spurious  talent  to  high  places.  In  America  we  have  a 
higher  average  of  intelligence,  while  we  have  far  less  of  (he  higher 
class;  and  I  attribute  the  latter  fact  to  the  control  of  those  who  have 
never  enjoyed  the  means  of  appreciating  excellence. — EDITOR. 


52  SATANSTOE. 

be  better  understood  when  I  come  to  connect  his  opinions 
with  his  acts. 

Dirck  and  myself  were  much  together  after  my  return 
from  college.  I  passed  weeks  at  a  time  with  him,  and  he 
returned  my  visits  with  the  utmost  freedom  and  good- will. 
Each  of  us  had  now  got  his  growth,  and  it  would  have 
done  the  heart  of  Frederick  of  Prussia  good,  to  have  seen 
my  young  friend  after  he  had  ended  his  nineteenth  year. 
In  stature  he  measured  exactly  six  feet  three,  and  he  gave 
every  promise  of  filling  up  in  proportion.  Dirck  was  none 
of  your  roundly-turned,  Apollo-built  fellows,  but  he  had 
shoulders  that  his  little,  short,  solid,  but  dumpy-looking 
mother,  who  was  of  the  true  stock,  could  scarcely  span, 
when  she  pulled  his  head  down  to  give  him  a  kiss ;  which 
she  did  regularly,  as  Dirck  told  me  himself,  twice  each 
year ;  that  is  to  say,  Christmas  and  New- Year.  His  com 
plexion  was  fair,  his  limbs  large  and  well  proportioned,  his 
hair  light,  his  eyes  blue,  and  his  face  would  have  been 
thought  handsome  by  most  persons.  I  will  not  deny,  how 
ever,  that  there  was  a  certain  ponderosity,  both  of  mind  and 
body,  about  my. friend,  that  did  not  very  well  accord  with 
the  general  notion  of  grace  and  animation.  Nevertheless, 
Dirck  was  a  sterling  fellow,  as  true  as  steel,  as  brave  as  a 
game-cock,  and  as  honest  as  noon-day  light. 

Jason  was  a  very  different  sort  of  person,  in  many  essen 
tials.  In  figure,  he  was  also  tall,  but  he  was  angular,  loose- 
jointed  and  swinging — slouching  would  be  the  better  word, 
perhaps.  Still,  he  was  not  without  strength,  having  worked 
on  a  farm  until  he  was  near  twenty ;  and  he  was  as  active 
as  a  cat ;  a  result  that  took  the  stranger  a  little  by  surprise, 
when  he  regarded  only  his  loose,  quavering  sort  of  build. 
In  the  way  of  thought,  Jason  would  think  two  feet  to  Dirck's 
one ;  but  I  am  far  from  certain  that  it  was  always  in  so 
correct  a  direction.  Give  the  Dutchman  time,  he  was  very 
apt  to  come  out  right ;  whereas  Jason,  I  soon  discovered, 
was  quite  liable  to  come  to  wrong  conclusions,  and  particu 
larly  so  in  all  matters  that  were  a  little  adverse,  and  which 
affected  his  own  apparent  interests.  Dirck,  moreover,  was 
one  of  the  best-natured  fellows  that  breathed  ;  it  being  almost 
impossible  to  excite  him  to  anger ;  when  it  did  come,  how 
ever,  the  earthquake  was  scarcely  more  terrific.  I  have 


8ATANSTOE.  53 

seen  him  enraged,  and  would  as  soon  encounter  a  wild-boar, 
in  an  open  field,  as  run  against  his  course,  while  in  the  fit. 

Modesty  will  hardly  permit  me  to  say  much  of  myself. 
I  was  well-grown,  active,  strong,  for  my  years  ;  and,  1  am 
inclined  to  think,  reasonably  well-looking ;  though  I  would 
prefer  that  this  much  should  be  said  by  any  one  but  myself. 
Dirck  and  I  often  tried  our  manhood  together,  when  young 
sters,  and  I  was  the  better  chap  until  my  friend  reached  his 
eighteenth  year,  when  the  heavy  metal  of  the  young  Dutch 
giant  told  in  our  struggles.  After  that  period  was  past,  I 
found  Dirck  too  much  for  me,  in  a  close  gripe,  though  my 
extraordinary  activity  rendered  the  inequality  less  apparent 
than  it  might  otherwise  have  proved.  I  ought  not  to  apply 
the  term  of  "  extraordinary"  to  anything  about  myself,  but 
the  word  escaped  me  unconsciously,  and  I  shall  let  it  stand. 
One  thing  I  will  say,  notwithstanding,  let -the  reader  think 
of  it  as  he  may :  I  was  good-natured  and  well-disposed  to 
my  fellow-creatures,  and  had  no  greater  love  of  money  than 
was  necessary  to  render  me  reasonably  discreet. 

Such  is  an  outline  of  the  characters  and  persons  of  three 
of  the  principal  actors  in  the  scenes  I  am  about  to  relate ; 
scenes  that  will  possess  some  interest  for  those  who  love  to 
read  accounts  of  adventures  in  a  new  country,  however 
much  they  may  fail  in  interesting  others,  when  I  speak  of 
the  condition  and  events  of  the  more  civilized  condition  of 
society,  that  was  enjoyed,  even  in  my  youth,  in  such  old 
counties  as  Westchester,  and  such  towns  as  York. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

*'  Let  us,  then,  be  up  and  doing-, 

With  a  heart  for  any  fate ; 
Still  achieving-,  still  pursuing, 

Learn  to  labour  and  to  wait." 

LONGFELLOW. 

THE  spring  of  the  year  I  was  twenty,  Dirck  and  myself 
paid  our  first  visit  to  town,  in  the  characters  of  young  men. 
5* 


54  SATANSTOE. 

Although  Satanstoe  was  not  more  than  five-and-twenty 
miles  from  New  York,  by  the  way  of  KingVBridge,  the 
road  we  always  travelled  in  order  to  avoid  the  ferry,  it  was 
by  no  means  as  common  to  visit  the  capital  as  it  has  since 
got  to  be.  I  know  gentlemen  who  pass  in  and  out  from 
our  neighbourhood,  now,  as  often  as  once  a  fortnight,  or 
even  once  a  week ;  but  thirty  years  since  this  was  a  thing 
very  seldom  done.  My  dear  mother  always  went  to  town 
twice  a  year ;  in  the  spring  to  pass  Easter  week,  and  in  the 
autumn  to  make  her  winter  purchases.  My  father  usually 
went  down  four  times,  in  the  course  of  the  twelve  months, 
but  he  had  the  reputation  of  a  gadabout,  and  was  thought 
by  many  people  to  leave  home  quite  as  much  as  he  ought 
to  do.  As  for  my  grandfather,  old  age  coming  on,  he  sel 
dom  left  home  now,  unless  it  were  to  pay  stated  visits  to 
certain  old  brother  campaigners  who  lived  within  moderate 
distances,  and  with  whom  he  invariably  passed  weeks  each 
summer. 

The  visit  I  have  mentioned  occurred  some  time  after 
Easter,  a  season  of  the  year  that  many  of  our  country  fa 
milies  were  in  the  habit  of  passing  in  town,  to  have  the 
benefit  of  the  daily  services  of  Old  Trinity,  as  the  Hebrews 
resorted  to  Jerusalem  to  keep  the  feast  of  the  passover.  My 
mother  did  not  go  to  town  this  year,  on  account  of  my 
father's  gout,  and  I  was  sent  to  supply  her  place  with  my 
aunt  Legge,  who  had  been  so  long  accustomed  to  have  one 
of  the  family  with  her  at  that  season,  that  I  was  substituted. 
Dirck  had  relatives  of  his  own,  with  whom  he  staid,  and 
thus  every  thing  was  rendered  smooth.  In  order  to  make  a 
fair  start,  my  friend  crossed  the  Hudson  the  week  before, 
and,  after  taking  breath  at  Satanstoe  for  three  days,  we  left 
the  Neck  for  the  capital,  mounted  on  a  pair  of  as  good 
roadsters  as  were  to  be  found  in  the  county  :  and  that  is 
saying  a  good  deal ;  for  the  Morrises,  and  de  Lanceys,  and 
Van  Cortlandts  all  kept  racers,  and  sometimes  gave  us  good 
sport,  in  the  autumn,  over  the  county  course.  West  Ches 
ter,  to  say  no  more  than  she  deserved,  was  a  county  with 
a  spirited  gentry,  and  one  of  which  no  colony  need  be 
ashamed. 

My  mother  was  a  tender-hearted  parent,  and  full  of 
anxiety  in  behalf  of  an  only  child.  She  knew  that  travel 


SATANSTOE.  55 

Ting  always  has  more  or  less  of  hazard,  and  was  desirous 
we  should  be  off  betimes,  in  order  to  make  certain  of  our 
reaching  town  before  the  night  set  in.  Highway  robbers, 
Heaven  be  praised !  were  then,  and  are  still,  unknown  to 
the  colonies ;  but  there  were  other  dangers  that  gave  my 
excellent  parent  much  concern.  All  the  bridges  were  not 
considered  safe;  the  roads  were,  and  are  yet,  very  circuitous, 
and  it  was  possible  to  lose  one's  way;  while  it  was  said 
persons  had  been  known  to  pass  the  night  on  Harlem  com 
mon,  an  uninhabited  waste  that  lies  some  seven  or  eight 
miles  on  our  side  of  the  city.  My  mother's  first  care,  there 
fore,  was  to  get  Dirck  and  myself  off  early  in  the  morning; 
in  order  to  do  which  she  rose  with  the  light,  gave  us  our 
breakfasts  immediately  afterwards,  and  thus  enabled  us  to 
quit  Satanstoe  just  as  the  sun  had  burnished  the  eastern  sky 
with  its  tints  of  flame-colour. 

Dirck  was  in  high  good-humour  that  morning,  and,  to 
own  the  trutth,  Corny  did  not  feel  the  depression  of  spirits 
which,  according  to  the  laws  of  propriety,  possibly  ought  to 
Ir-ive  attended  the  first  really  free  departure  of  so  youthful 
an  adventurer  from  beneath  the  shadows  of  the  paternal 
roof.  We  went  our  way  laughing  and  chatting  like  two  girls 
just  broke  loose  from  boarding-school.  I  had  never  known 
Dirck  more  communicative,  and  I  got  certain  new  insights 
into  his  feelings,  expectations  and  prospects,  as  we  rode  along 
the  colony's  highway  that  morning,  that  afterwards  proved  to 
be  matters  of  much  interest  with  us  both.  We  had  not  got 
a  mile  from  the  chimney-tops  of  Satanstoe,  ere  my  friend 
broke  forth  as  follows  : — 

"  I  suppose  you  have  heard,  Corny,  what  the  two  old 
gentlemen  have  been  at,  lately  ?" 

"  Your  father  and  mine? — I  have  not  heard  a  syllable  of 
any  thing  new." 

"They  have  been  suing  out,  before  the  Governor  and 
Council,  a  joint  claim  to  that  tract  of  land  they  bought  of  the 
Mohawks,  the  last  time  they  were  out  together  on  service, 
in  the  colony  militia." 

I  ought  to  mention,  here,  that  though  my  predecessors 
had  made  but  few  campaigns  in  the  regular  army,  each  had 
made  several  in  the  more  humble  capacity  of  a  militia 
officer. 


56 


SATANSTOE. 


"  This  is  news  to  me,  Dirck,"  I  answered.  "  Why 
should  the  old  gentlemen  have  been  so  sly  about  such  a 
thing?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  lest  they  thought  silence  the  best  way 
to  keep  off  the  yankees.  You  know,  my  father  has  a 
great  dread  of  a  yankee's  getting  a  finger  into  any  of  his 
bargains.  He  says  the  yankees  are  the  locusts  of  the  west." 

"  But,  how  came  you  to  know  any  thing  about  it,  Dirck  ?" 

"  I  am  no  yankee,  Corny." 

"  And  your  father  told  you,  on  the  strength  of  this  recom 
mendation  ?" 

"  He  told  me,  as  he  tells  me  most  things  that  he  thinks  it 
best  I  should  know.  We  smoke  together,  and  then  we  talk 
together." 

"  I  would  learn  to  smoke  too,  if  I  thought  I  should  get 
any  useful  information  by  so  doing." 

"  Dere  is  much  to  be  1'arnt  from  ter  pipe !"  said  Dirck, 
dropping  into  a  slightly  Dutch  accent,  as  frequently  hap 
pened  with  him,  when  his  mind  took  a  secret  direction  to 
wards  Holland,  though  in  general  he  spoke  English  quite  as 
well  as  I  did  myself,  and  vastly  better  than  that  miracle  of 
taste,  and  learning,  and  virtue,  and  piety,  Mr.  Jason  New- 
come,  A.  B.,  of  Yale,  and  prospective  president  of  that,  or 
some  other  institution. 

"  So  it  would  seem,  if  your  father  is  telling  you  secrets 
all  the  time  you  are  smoking  together.  But  where  is  this 
land,  Dirck?" 

"  It  is  in  the  Mohawk  country — or,  rather,  it  is  in  the 
country  near  the  Hampshire  Grants,  and  at  no  great  dis 
tance  from  the  Mohawk  country." 

"  And  how  much  may  there  be  of  it  ?" 

"  Forty  thousand  acres ;  and  some  of  it  of  good,  rich 
flats,  they  say ;  such  as  a  Dutchman  loves." 

"  And  your  father  and  mine  have  purchased  all  this  land 
in  company,  you  say — share  and  share  alike,  as  the  law 
yers  call  it." 

"  Just  so." 

"  Pray  how  much  did  they  pay  for  so  large  a  tract  of 
land?" 

Dirck  took  time  to  answer  this  question.  He  first  drew 
from  his  breast  a  pocket-book,  which  he  opened  as  well  aa 


SATANSTOE.  57 

he  could  under  the  motion  of  his  roadster,  for  neither  of  us 
abated  his  speed,  it  being  indispensable  to  reach  town  before 
dark.  My  friend  succeeded  at  length  in  putting  his  hand  on 
the  paper  he  wanted,  which  he  gave  to  me. 

"  There,"  he  said  ;  "  that  is  a  list  of  the  articles  paid  to 
the  Indians,  which  I  have  copied,  and  then  there  have  been 
several  hundred  pounds  of  fees  paid  to  the  Governor  and 
his  officers." 

1  read  from  the  list,  as  follows ;  the  words  coming  out  by 
jerks,  as  the  trotting  of  my  horse  permitted.  "  Fifty  blankets, 
each  with  yellow  strings  and  yellow  trimmings ;  ten  iron 
pots,  four  gallons  each  ;  forty  pounds  of  gunpowder ;  seven 
muskets ;  twelve  pounds  of  small  beads  ;  ten  strings  of  wam 
pum  ;  fifty  gallons  of  rum,  pure  Jamaica,  and  of  high  proof; 
a  score  of  jews-harps,  and  three  dozen  first  quality  English- 
made  tomahawks." 

"  Well,  Dirck,"  I  cried,  as  soon  as  through  reading, 
"  this  is  no  great  matter  to  give  for  forty  thousand  acres 
of  land,  in  the  colony  of  New  York.  I  dare  say  a  hundred 
pounds  currency  ($250)  would  buy  every  thing  here,  even 
to  the  rum  and  the  first  quality  of  English-made  toma 
hawks." 

"  Ninety-six  pounds,  thirteen  shillings,  seven  pence  *  t'ree 
fart'inV  was  the  footing  of  the  whole  bill,"  answered  Dirck 
deliberately,  preparing  to  light  his  pipe ;  for  he  could  smoke 
very  conveniently  while  trotting  no  faster  than  at  the  rate 
of  six  miles  the  hour. 

"  I  do  not  find  that  dear  for  forty  thousand  acres  ;  I  suppose 
the  muskets,  and  rum,  and  other  things  were  manufactured 
expressly  for  the  Indian  trade." 

"  Not  they,  Corny:  you  know  how  it  is  with  the  old  gen 
tlemen  ; — they  are  as  honest  as  the  day." 

"  So  much  the  better  for  them,  and  so  much  the  better 
for  us !  But  what  is  to  be  done  with  this  land,  now  they 
own  it  ?" 

Dirck  did  not  answer,  until  we  had  trotted  twenty  rods ; 
for  by  this  time  the  pipe  was  at  work,  and  the  moment  the 
smoke  was  seen  he  kept  his  eye  on  it,  until  he  saw  a  bright 
light  in  front  of  his  nose. 

"  The  first  thing  will  be  to  find  it,  Corny.  When  a  patent 
is  signed  and  delivered,  then  you  must  send  forth  som« 


58  SATANSTOE. 

proper  person  to  find  the  land  it  covers.  I  have  heard  of  a 
gentleman  who  got  a  grant  of  ten  thousand  acres,  five  years 
since;  and  though  he  has  had  a  hunt  for  it  every  summer 
since,  he  has  not  been  able  to  find  it  yet.  To  be  sure,  ten 
thousand  acres  is  a  small  object  to  look  for,  in  the  woods." 

"And  our  fathers  intend  to  find  this  land  as  soon  as  the 
season  opens  ?" 

"  Not  so  fast,  Corny ;  not  so  fast !  That  was  the  scheme 
of  your  father's  Welsh  blood,  but  mine  takes  matters  more 
deliberately.  Let  us  wait  until  next  year,  he  said,  and  then 
we  can  send  the  boys.  By  that  time,  too,  the  war  will  take 
some  sort  of  a  shape,  and  we  shall  know  better  how  to  care 
for  the  children.  The  subject  has  been  fairly  talked  over 
between  the  two  patentees,  and  we  are  to  go  early  nexl 
spring,  not  this." 

The  idea  of  land-hunting  was  not  in  the  least  disagree- 
able  to  me ;  nor  was  it  unpleasant  to  think  that  I  stood  in 
reversion,  or  as  heir,  to  twenty  thousand  acres  of  land,  in 
addition  to  those  of  Satanstoe.  Dirck  and  I  talked  the 
matter  over,  as  we  trotted  on,  until  both  of  us  began  to  re 
gret  that  the  expedition  was  so  far  in  perspective. 

The  war  to  which  Dirck  alluded,  had  broken  out  a  few 
months  before  our  visit  to  town  :  a  Mr.  Washington,  of  Vir 
ginia — the  same  who  has  since  become  so  celebrated  as  the 
Col.  Washington  of  Braddock's  defeat,  and  other  events  at 
the  south — having  been  captured,  with  a  party  of  his  men, 
in  a  small  work  thrown  up  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
French,  somewhere  on  the  tributaries  of  the  Ohio ;  a  river 
that  is  known  to  run  into  the  Mississippi,  a  vast  distance  to 
the  west.  I  knew  very  little  then,  nor  do  I  know  much  now 
of  these  remote  regions,  beyond  the  fact  that  there  are  such 
places,  acd  that  they  are  sometimes  visited  by  detachments, 
war-parties,  hunters,  and  other  adventurers  from  the  colo 
nies.  To  me,  it  seems  scarce  worth  fighting  about  such 
distant  and  wild  territory;  for  ages  and  ages  must  elapse 
before  it  can  be  of  any  service  for  the  purposes  of  civiliza 
tion.  Both  Dirck  and  myself  regretted  that  the  summer 
would  be  likely  to  go  by  without  our  seeing  the  enemy ;  for 
we  came  of  families  that  were  commonly  employed  on  such 
occasions.  We  thought  both  our  fathers  might  be  out ;  though 
even  that  was  a  point  that  still  remained  under  discussion. 


SATANSTOE.  59 

We  dined  and  baited  at  Kingsbridge,  intending  to  sup  in 
town.  While  the  dinner  was  cooking,  Dirck  and  I  walked 
out  on  the  heights  that  overlook  the  Hudson ;  for  I  knew 
Jess  of  this  noble  river  than  I  wished  to  know  of  it.  We 
conversed  as  we  walked ;  and  my  companion,  who  knew 
the  river  much  better  than  myself,  having  many  occasions 
to  pass  up  and  down  it,  between  the  village  of  Haverstraw 
and  town,  in  his  frequent  visits  to  his  relatives  below,  gave 
me  some  useful  information. 

"  Look  here,  Corny,"  said  Dirck,  after  betraying  a  good 
deal  of  desire  to  obtain  a  view  of  some  object  in  the  distance, 
along  the  river-side ,-  "  Look  here,  Corny,  do  you  see  yonder 
house,  in  the  little  bay  below  us,  with  the  lawn  that  extends 
down  to  the  water,  and  that  noble  orchard  behind  it?" 

I  saw  the  object  to  which  Dirck  alluded.  It  was  a  house 
that  stood  near  the  river,  but  sheltered  and  secluded,  with 
the  lawn  and  orchard  as  described  ;  though  at  the  distance 
of  some  two  or  three  miles  all  the  beauties  of  the  spot  could 
not  be  discovered,  and  many  of  them  had  to  be  received  on 
the  faith  of  my  companion's  admiration.  Still  I  saw  very 
plainly,  all  the  principal  objects  named ;  and,  among  others, 
the  house,  the  orchard,  and  the  lawn.  The  building  was  of 
stone — as  is  common  with  most  of  the  better  sort  of  houses  in 
the  country — was  long,  irregular,  and  had  that  air  of  solid 
comfort  about  it,  which  it  is  usual  to  see  in  buildings  of  that 
description.  The  walls  were  not  whitewashed,  according  to 
the  lively  tastes  of  our  Dutch  fellow-colonists,- who  appear 
to  expend  all  their  vivacity  in  the  pipe  and  the  brush,  but 
were  left  in  their  native  grey;  a  circumstance  that  rendered 
the  form  and  dimensions  of  the  structure  a  little  less  distinct, 
at  a  first  glance,  than  they  might  otherwise  have  proved. 
As  1  gazed  at  the  spot,  however,  I  began  to  fancy  it  a  charm, 
to  find  the  picture  thus  sobered  down ;  and  found  a  pleasure 
in  drawing  the  different  angles,  and  walls,  and  chimneys, 
and  roofs,  from  this  back-ground,  by  means  of  the  organ  of 
sight.  On  the  whole,  I  thought  the  little  sequestered  bay, 
the  wooded  and  rocky  shores,  the  small  but  well  distributed 
lawn,  the  orchard,  with  all  the  other  similar  accessories, 
formed  together  one  of  the  prettres-t  places  of  the  sort  I  had 
ever  seen.  Thinking  so,  I  was  not  slow  in  saying  as  much  to 
my  companion.  I  was  thought  to  have  some  taste  in  these 


60  SATANSTOBr 

matters,  and  had  been  consulted  on  the  subject  of  laying 
out  grounds  by  one  or  two  neighbours  in  the  county. 

"Whose  house  is  it,  Dirck  ?"  I  enquired;  "and  how 
came  you  to  know  anything  about  it?" 

"  That  is  Lilacsbush,"  answered  my  friend ;  "  and  it  be 
longs  to  my  mother's  cousin,  Herman  Mordaunt." 

I  had  heard  of  Herman,  or,  as  it  is  pronounced,  Harmar 
Mordaunt.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  note  in  the 
colony,  having  been  the  son  of  a  Major  Mordaunt,  of  the 
British  army,  who  had  married  the  heiress  of  a  wealthy 
Dutch  merchant,  whence  the  name  of  Herman  ;  which  had 
descended  to  the  son  along  with  the  money.  The  Dutch 
were  so  fond  of  their  own  blood,  that  they  never  failed  to  give 
this  Mr.  Mordaunt  his  Christian  name ;  and  he  was  usually 
known  in  the  colony  as  Herman  Mordaunt.  Further  than 
this,  I  knew  little  of  the  gentleman,  unless  it  might  be  that 
he  was  reputed  rich,  and  was  admitted  to  be  in  the  best 
society,  though  not  actually  belonging  to  the  territorial  or 
political  aristocracy  of  the  colony. 

"  As  Herman  Mordaunt  is  your  mother's  cousin,  I  sup 
pose,  Dirck,"  I  resumed,  "that  you  have  been  at  Lilacs- 
bush,  and  ascertained  whether  the  inside  of  the  house  is  as 
pleasant  and  respectable  as  the  outside." 

"  Often,  Corny ;  while  Madam  Mordaunt  lived,  my  mo 
ther  and  I  used  to  go  there  every  summer.  The  poor  lady 
is  now  dead,  but  I  %o  there  still." 

"  Why  did  you  not  ride  on  as  far  as  Lilacsbush,  and  levy 
a  dinner  on  your  relations  ?  I  should  think  Herman  Mor 
daunt  would  feel  hurt,  were  he  to  learn  that  an  acquaintance, 
or  a  relation,  had  put  up  at  an  inn,  within  a  couple  of  miles 
of  his  own  house.  I  dare  say  he  knows  both  Major  and 
Capt.  Littlepage,  and  I  protest  I  shall  feel  it  necessary  to 
send  him  a  note  of  apology  for  not  calling.  These 
things  ought  not  to  be  done,  Dirck,  among  persons  'of  a 
certain  stamp,  and  who  are  supposed  to  know  what  is 
proper." 

"  This  would  be  all  right  enough,  Corny,  had  Herman 
Mordaunt,  or  his  daughter,  been  at  Lilacsbush  j  but  they 
live  in  Crown  Street,  in  town,  in  winter,  and  never  come  out 
here  until  after  the  Pinkster  holidays,  let  them  come  when 
they  may." 


8ATANSTOE,  61 

"  Oh !  he  is  as  great  a  man  as  that,  is  he  ?  —  a  town  and 
country  house;  after  al!,  I  do  not  know  whether  it  would 
do  to  be  quite  so  free  with  one  of  his  standing,  as  to  go  to 
dine  with  him  without  sending  notice." 

"  Nonsense,  Corny.  Who  hesitates  about  stopping  at  a 
gentleman's  door,  when  he  is  travelling  1  Herman  Mor- 
daunt  would  have  given  us  a  hearty  welcome,  and  I  should 
have  gone  on  to  Lilacsbush,  did  I  not  know  that  the  family 
is  certain  to  be  in  town  at  this  season.  Easter  came  early 
this  year,  and  to-morrow  will  be  the  first  day  of  the  Pink 
ster  holidays.  As  soon  as  they  are  over,  Herman  Mor- 
daunt  and  Anneke  will  be  out  here  to  enjoy  their  lilacs  and 
roses." 

"  Oh,  ho !  there  is  an  Anneke,  as  well  as  the  old  gentle 
man.  Pray,  how  old  may  Miss  Anneke  be,  Master 
Dirck?" 

As  this  question  was  asked,  I  turned  to  look  my  friend  in 
the  face,  and  I  found  that  his  handsome,  smooth,  fair  Dutch 
lineaments  were  covered  with  a  glow  of  red,  that  it  was  not 
usual  to  see  extended  so  far  from  his  ruddy  cheeks.  Dirck 
was  too  much  of  a  man,  however,  to  turn  away,  or  to  try  to 
hide  blushes  so  ingenuous ;  but  he  answered  stoutly — 

"My  cousin,  Anneke  Mordaunt,  is  just  turned  of  seven 
teen  ;  and,  I  '11  tell  you  what,  Corny — " 

"Well — I  am  listening,  with  both  ears,  to  hear  your 
what — Out  with  it,  man  ;  both  ears  are  open." 

"  Why,  Anneke  (On-na-fcoi/),  is  one  of  the  very  prettiest 
girls  in  the  colony  !  —  What  is  more,  she  is  as  sweet  and 
goot" — Dirck  grew  Dutch,  as  he  grew  animated — "  as  she 
is  pretty." 

I  was  quite  astounded  at  the  energy  and  feeling  with  which 
this  was  said.  Dirck  was  such  a  matter-of-fact  fellow,  that 
I  had  never  dreamed  he  could  be  sensible  to  the  passion  of 
love ;  nor  had  I  ever  paused  to  analyze  the  nature  of  our 
own  friendship.  We  liked  each  other,  in  the  first  place, 
most  probably,  from  habit ;  then,  we  were  of  characters  so 
essentially  different,  that  our  attachment  was  influenced  by 
that  species  of  excitement  which  is  the  child  of  opposition. 
As  we  grew  older,  Dirck's  good  qualities  began  to  command 
my  respect,  and  reason  entered  more  into  my  affection  for 
him.  I  was  well  convinced  that  my  companion  could,  and 
6 


62  SATANSTOE. 

would,  prove  to  be  a  warm  friend  ;  but  the  possibility  of  his 
ever  becoming  a  lover,  had  not  before  crossed  my  mind. 
Even  then,  the  impression  made  was  not  very  deep  or  last 
ing,  though  I  well  remember  the  sort  of  admiration  and 
wonder  with  which  I  gazed  at  his  flushed  cheek,  animated 
eye,  and  improved  mien.  For  the  moment,  Dirck  really 
had  a  commanding  and  animated  air. 

"  Why,  Anneke  is  one  of  the  prettiest  girls  in  the  colony !" 
my  friend  had  exclaimed. 

"  And  your  cousin  ?" 

"  My  second  cousin. — Her  mother's  father  and  my  mo 
ther's  mother  were  brother  and  sister." 

"  In  that  case,  I  shall  hope  to  have  the  honour  of  being 
introduced,  one  of  these  days,  to  Miss  Anneke  Mordaunt, 
who  is  just  turned  of  seventeen,  and  is  one  of  the  prettiest 
girls  in  the  colony,  and  is  as  good  as  she  is  pretty." 

"  I  wish  you  to  see  her,  Corny,  and  that  before  we  go 
home,"  Dirck  replied,  all  his  philosophy,  or  phlegm,  which 
ever  the  philosophy  of  other  people  may  term  it,  returning; 
"  come ;  let  us  go  back  to  the  inn  ;  our  dinner  will  be  get 
ting  cold." 

I  mused  on  my  friend's  unusual  manner,  as  we  walked 
back  towards  the  inn;  but  it  was  soon  forgotten,  in  the 
satisfaction  produced  by  eating  a  good,  substantial  meal  of 
broiled  ham,  with  hot  potatoes,  boiled  eggs,  a  beefsteak, 
done  to  a  turn,  with  the  accessions  of  pickles,  cold-slaw, 
apple-pie,  and  cider.  This  is  a  common  New  York  tavern 
dinner,  for  the  wayfarer ;  and,  I  must  say,  I  have  got  to 
(ike  it.  Often  have  I  enjoyed  such  a  repast,  after  a  sharp 
forenoon's  ride ;  ay,  and  enjoyed  it  more  than  I  have  re 
lished  entertainments  at  which  have  figured  turkies,  oysters, 
hams,  hashes,  and  other  dishes,  that  have  higher  reputations. 
Even  turtle-soup,  for  which  we  are  somewhat  famous  in 
New  York,  has  failed  to  give  me  the  same  delight. 

Dirck,  to  do  him  justice,  ate  heartily  ;  for  it  is  not  an  easy 
matter  to  take  away  his  appetite.  As  usual,  I  did  most  of 
the  talking;  and  that  was  with  our  landlady,  who,  hearing 
I  was  a  son  of  her  much-esteemed  and  constant  customer, 
Major  Littlepage,  presented  herself  with  the  dessert  and 
cheese,  and  did  me  the  honour  to  commence  a  discourse. 
Her  name  was  Light ;  and  light  was  she  certain  to  cast  on 


SATANSTOE.  63 

everything  she  discussed  ;  that  is  to  say,  innkeeper's  light ; 
which  partakes  somewhat  of  the  darkness  that  is  so  apt 
to  overshadow  no  small  portJon  of  the  minds  of  her  many 
customers. 

"  Pray,  Mrs.  Light,"  I  asked,  when  there  was  an  opening, 
which  was  not  until  the  good  woman  had  exhausted  her 
breath  in  honour  of  the  Littlepages,  "  do  you  happen  to 
know  anything  of  a  family,  hereabouts,  of  the  name  of  Mor 
daunt'?" 

"  Do  I  happen  to  know,  sir ! — Why,  Mr.  Littlepage,  you 
might  almost  as  well  have  asked  me,  if  I  had  ever  heard  of 
a  Van  Cortlandt,  or  a  Philipse,  or  a  Morris,  or  any  other  of 
the  gentry  hereabouts.  Mr.  Mordaunt  has  a  country-place, 
and  a  very  pretty  one  it  is,  within  two  miles  and  a  half  of 
us ;  and  he  and  Madame  Mordaunt  never  passed  our  door, 
when  they  went  into  the  country  to  see  Madame  Van  Cort 
landt,  without  stopping  to  say  a  word,  and  leave  a  shilling.  • 
The  poor  lady  is  dead ;  but  there  is  a  young  image  of  her 
virtues,  that  is  coming  a'ter  her,  that  will  be  likely  to  do 
some  damage  in  the  colony.  She  is  modesty  itself,  sir;  so 
I  thought  it  could  do  her  no  harm,  the  last  time  she  was 
here,  just  to  tell  her,  she  ought  to  be  locked  up,  for  the 
thefts  she  was  likely  to  commit,  if  not  for  them  she  had 
committed  already.  She  blushed,  sir,  and  looked  for  all  the 
world  like  the  shell  of  the  most  delicate  boiled  lobster  you 
ever  laid  eyes  on.  She  is  truly  a  charming  young  lady !" 

"  Thefts  of  hearts,  you  mean  of  course,  my  good  Mrs. 
Light?" 

"Of  nothing  else,  sir;  young  ladies  are  apt  to  steal 
hearts,  you  know.  My  word  for  it,  Miss  Anneke  will  turn 
out  a  great  robber,  after  her  own  fashion,  you  know,  sir." 

"And  whose  hearts  is  she  likely  to  run  away  with,  pray  ? 
I  should  be  pleased  to  hear  the  names  of  some  of  the  suf 
ferers." 

"  Lord,  sir  ! — she  is  too  young  to  have  done  much  yet, 
but  wait  a  twelvemonth,  and  I'll  answer  the  question." 

I  could  see  all  this  time  that  Dirck  was  uneasy,  and  had 
some  amusement  in  watching  the  workings  of  his  counte 
nance.  My  malicious  intentions,  however,  were  suddenly 
interrupted.  As  if  to  prevent  further  discourse,  and,  at  the 


64  SATANSTOE. 

same  time,  further  espionage,  my  young  friend  rose  from 
table,  ordering  the  horses  and  the  bill. 

During  the  ride  to  town,  no  more  was  said  of  Lilacsbush, 
Herman  Mordaunt,  or  his  daughter  Anneke.  Dirck  was 
silent,  but  this  was  his  habit  after  dinner,  and  I  was  kept  a 
good  deal  on  the  alert  in  order  to  find  the  road  which 
crossed  the  common,  it  being  our  desire  to  go  in  that  direc 
tion.  It  is  true,  we  might  have  gone  into  town  by  the  way 
of  Bloomingdale,  Greenwich,  the  meadows  and  the  Collect, 
and  so  down  past  the  common  upon  the  head  of  Broadway ; 
but  my  mother  had  particularly  desired  we  would  fall  into 
the  Bowery  Lane,  passing  the  seats  that  are  to  be  found  in 
that  quarter,  and  getting  into  Queen  Street  as  soon  as  pos 
sible.  By  taking  this  course  she  thought  we  should  be  less 
likely  to  miss  our  way  within  the  town  itself,  which  is  cer 
tainly  full  of  narrow  and  intricate  passages.  My  uncle 
Legge  had  removed  into  Duke  Street,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Hanover  Square,-  and  Queen  Street,  I  well  knew,  would  lead 
us  directly  to  his  door.  Queen  Street,  indeed,  is  the  great 
artery  of  New  York,  through  which  most  of  its  blood  cir 
culates. 

It  was  drawing  towards  night  when  we  trotted  up  to  the 
stable,  where  we  left  our  horses,  and  obtaining  a  black  to 
shoulder  our  portmanteaus,  we  began  to  thread  the  mazes 
of  the  capital  on  foot.  New  York  was  certainly,  even  in 
1757,  a  wonderful  place  for  commerce !  Vessels  began  to 
be  seen  some  distance  east  of  Fly  Market,  and  there  could 
not  have  been  fewer  than  twenty  ships,  brigs,  and  schooners, 
lying  in  the  East  river,  as  we  walked  down  Queen  Street. 
Of  course  I  include  all  descriptions  of  vessels  that  go  to 
sea,  in  this  estimate.  At  the  present  moment,  it  is  probable 
twice  that  number  would  be  seen.  There  Dirck  and  I 
stopped  more  than  once,  involuntarily,  to  gaze  at  the  exhi 
bitions  of  wealth  and  trade  that  offered  themselves  as  we 
went  deeper  into  the  town.  My  mother  had  particularly 
cautioned  me  against  falling  into  this  evidence  of  country 
habits,  and  I  felt  much  ashamed  at  each  occurrence  of  the 
weakness  ;  but  I  found  it  irresistible.  At  length  my  friend 
and  I  parted ;  he  to  go  to  the  residence  of  his  aunt,  while 
I  proceeded  to  that  of  mine.  Before  separating,  however 
we  agreed  to  meet  next  morning  in  the  fields  at  the  head  of 


SATANSTOE.  65 

Broadway,  on  the  common,  which,  as  it  was  understood, 
was  to  be  the  scene  of  the  Pinkster  sports. 

My  reception  in  Duke  Street  was  cordial,  both  on  the 
part  of  my  uncle  and  on  the  part  of  my  aunt ;  the  first 
bemg  a  good-hearted  person,  though  a  little  too  apt  to  run 
into  extravagance  on  the  subject  of  the  rights  of  the  rabble. 
I  was  pleased  with  the  welcome  I  received,  enjoyed  an  ex 
cellent  hot  supper,  to  which  we  sat  down  at  half-past  eight, 
my  aunt  being  fond  of  town  hours,  both  dining  and  supping 
a  little  later  than  my  mother,  as  being  more  fashionable  and 
genteel.*  As  I  was  compelled  to  confess  fatigue,  after  so 
long  a  ride,  as  soon  as  we  quitted  the  table  I  retired  to  my 
own  room. 

The  next  day  was  the  first  of  the  three  that  are  devoted 
to  Pinkster,  the  great  Saturnalia  of  the  New  York  blacks. 
Although  this  festival  is  always  kept  with  more  vivacity  at 
Albany  than  in  York,  it  is  far  from  being  neglected,  even 
now,  in  the  latter  place.  I  had  told  my  aunt,  before  I  left 
her,  I  should  not  wait  for  breakfast,  but  should  be  up  with 

*  The  dinner  of  the  last  half  century  is,  in  one  sense,  but  a  sub 
stitute  for  th*e  petits  soupers  of  the  century  or  two  that  preceded.  It 
is  so  entirely  rational  and  natural,  that  the  cultivated  and  refined 
should  meet  for  the  purposes  of  social  enjoyment  after  the  business 
of  the  day  has  terminated,  that  the  supper  has  only  given  place  to  the 
same  meal  under  another  name,  and  at  hours  little  varying  from  those 
of  the  past.  The  Parisian  dines  at  half-past  six,  remaining  at  table 
until  eight.  The  Englishman,  Liter  in  all  his  hours,  and  more  pon 
derous  in  all  his  habits,  sits  down  to  table  about  the  time  the  French 
man  gets  up  ;  quitting  it  between  nine  and  ten.  The  Italian  pays  a 
tribute  to  his  climate,  and  has  his  early  dinner  and  light  supper,  both 
usually  alone,  the  habits  of  the  country  carrying  him  to  the  opera 
and  the  conversazione  for  social  communion.  But  what  is  the  Ameri 
can  ?  A  jumble  of  the  same  senseless  contradictions  in  his  social 
habits,  as  he  is  fast  getting  to  be  in  his  political  creeds  and  political 
practices  ;  a  being  that  is  in  transitu,  pressed  by  circumstances  on  the 
one  side,  and  by  the  habit  of  imitation  on  the  other ;  unwilling, 
almost  unable,  to  think  and  act  for  himself.  The  only  American  who 
is  temporarily  independent  in  such  things,  is  the  unfledged  provincial, 
fresh  from  his  village  conceit  and  village  practices,  who,  until  corrected 
by  communion  with  the  world,  fancies  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
north-west  parish,  in  the  town  of  Hebron,  in  the  county  of  Jericho, 
and  the  State  of  Connecticut,  to  be  the  only  portion  of  this  globe 
that  is  perfection.  If  he  should  happen  to  keep  a  school,  or  conduct 
a  newspaper,  the  community  becomes,  in  a  small  degree,  the  partici. 
pant  of  his  rare  advantages  and  vast  experience !  —  EDITOB. 
6* 


66  SATANSTOB. 

the  sun,  and  off  in  quest  of  Dirck,  in  order  that  we  might 
enjoy  a  stroll  along  the  wharves  before  it  was  time  to  repair 
to  the  common,  where  the  fun  was  to  be  seen.  Accordingly 
I  got  out  of  the  house  betimes,  though  it  was  an  hour  later 
than  I  had  intended  ;  for  I  heard  the  rattling  of  cups  in  the 
little  parlour,  the  sign  that  the  table  was  undergoing  the 
usual  process  of  arrangement  for  breakfast.  It  then  occurred 
to  me  that  most,  if  not  all  of  the  servants,  seven  in  number, 
would  be  permitted  to  enjoy  the  holiday;  and  that  it  might 
be  well  if  I  took  all  my  meals,  that  day,  in  the  fields.  Run 
ning  back  to  the  room,  I  communicated  this  intention  to 
Juno,  the  girl  I  found  doing  Pompey's  work,  and  left  the 
house  on  a  jump.  There  was  no  great  occasion  for  starv 
ing,  I  thought,  in  a  town  as  large  and  as  full  of  eatables  as 
New  York ;  and  the  result  fully  justified  this  reasonable 
opinion. 

Just  as  I  got  into  Hanover  Square,  I  saw  a  grey-headed 
negro,  who  was  for  turning  a  penny  before  he  engaged  in 
the  amusements  of  the  day,  carrying  two  pails  that  were 
scoured  to  the  neatness  of  Dutch  fastidiousness,  and  which 
were  suspended  from  the  yoke  he  had  across  his  neck  and 
shoulders.  He  cried  "  White  wine — white  wine  !"  in  a  clear 
eonorous  voice;  and  I  was  at  his  side  in  a  moment.  White 
wine  was,  and  is  still,  my  delight  of  a  morning;  and  I 
bought  a  delicious  draught  of  the  purest  and  best  of  a  Com- 
tnunipaw  vintage,  eating  a  cake  at  the  same  time.  Thus 
refreshed,  I  proceeded  into  the  square,  the  beauty  of  which 
had  struck  my  fancy  as  I  walked  through  it  the  previous 
evening.  To  my  surprise,  whom  should  I  find  in  the  very 
centre  of  Queen  Street,  gaping  about  him  with  a  most  in 
domitable  Connecticut  air,  but  Jason  Newcome !  A  brief 
explanation  let  me  into  the  secret  of  his  presence.  His  boy^J 
had  all  gone  home  to  enjoy  the  Pinkster  holiday,  with  the 
black  servants  of  their  respective  families ;  and  Jason  had 
seized  the  opportunity  to  pay  his  first  visit  to  the  great  capi 
tal  of  the  colony.  He  was  on  his  travels,  like  myself. 

"And  what  has  brought  you  down  here?"  I  demanded, 
the  pedagogue  having  already  informed  me  that  he  had  put 
up  at  a  tavern  in  the  suburbs,  where  horse-keeping  and 
lodgings  were  "  reasonable."  "  The  Pinkster  fields  are  up 
near  the  head  of  Broadway,  on  the  common." 


SATANSTOE.  67 

"  So  I  hear,"  answered  Jason ;  "  but  I  want  to  see  a  ship 
and  all  the  sights  this  way,  in  the  first  place.  It  will  be 
time  enough  for  Pinkster,  two  or  three  hours  hence,  if  a 
Christian  ought  even  to  look  at  such  vanities.  Can  you  tell 
me  where  I  am  to  find  Hanover  Square,  Corny  7" 

"  You  are  \n  it'  now,  Mr.  Newcome ;  and  to  my  fancy,  a 
very  noble  area  it  is  !" 

"  This  Hanover  Square!"  repeated  Jason.  "Why,  its 
shape  is  not  that  of  a  square  at  all ;  is  is  nearer  a  triangle." 

"  What  of  that,  sir  1  By  a  square  in  a  town,  one  does 
not  necessarily  understand  an  area  with  four  equal  sides 
and  as  many  right  angles,  but  an  open  space  that  is  left  for 
air  and  beauty.  There  are  air  and  beauty  enough  to  satisfy 
any  reasonable  man.  A  square  may  be  a  parallelogram, 
or  a  triangle,  or  any  other  shape  one  pleases." 

"  This,  then,  is  Hanover  Square ! — a  New  York  square, 
or  a  Nassau  Hall  square,  Corny ;  but  not  a  Yale  College 
square,  take  my  word  for  it.  It  is  so  small,  moreover !" 

"  Small ! — the  width  of  the  street  at  the  widest  end  must 
be  near  a  hundred  feet;  I  grant  you  it  is  not  half  that  at 
the  other  end,  but  that  is  owing  to  the  proximity  of  the 
houses." 

"  Ay,  it  is  all  owing  to  the  proximity  of  the  houses,  as 
you  call  it.  Now,  according  to  my  notion,  Hanover  Square, 
of  which  a  body  hears  so  much  talk  in  the  country,  ought 
to  have  had  fifty  or  sixty  acres  in  it,  and  statues  of  the 
whole  House  of  Brunswick,  besides.  Why  is  that  nest  of 
houses  left  in  the  middle  of  your  square?" 

"  It  is  not,  sir.  The  square  ceases  when  it  reaches  them. 
They  are  too  valuable  to  be  torn  down,  although  there  has 
been  some  talk  of  it.  My  uncle  Legge  told  me,  last  evening, 
that  those  houses  have  been  valued  as  high  as  twelve  thou 
sand  dollars ;  and  some  persons  put  them  as  high  as  six 
thousand  pounds." 

This  reconciled  Jason  to  the  houses ;  for  he  never  failed 
to  defer  to  money,  come  in  what  shape  it  would.  It  was 
the  only  source  of  human  distinction  that  he  could  clearly 
comprehend,  though  he  had  some  faint  impressions  touching 
the  dignity  of  the  crown,  and  the  respect  due  to  its  repre 
sentatives. 

"  Corny,"  said  Jason,  in  an  under  tone,  and  taking  me 


68  SATANSTOE 

by  the  arm  to  lead  me  aside,  though  no  one  was  near,  like 
a  man  who  has  a  great  secret  to  ask,  or  to  communicate, 
"  what  was  that  I  saw  you  taking  for  your  bitters,  a  little 
while  ago  ?" 

"Bitters!  I  do  not  understand  you,  Jason.  Nothing 
bitter  have  I  tasted  to-day ;  nor  can  I  say  I  have  any  great 
wish  to  put  anything  bitter  into  my  mouth." 

"  Why,  the  draught  you  got  from  the  nigger  who  is  now 
coming  back  across  the  square,  as  you  call  it,  and  which 
you  seemed  to  enj'y  particularly.  I  am  dry,  myself,  and 
should  wonderfully  like  a  drink." 

"  Oh  !  that  fellow  sells  *  white  wine,'  and  you  will  find  it 
delicious.  If  you  want  your  *  bitters,'  as  you  call  them, 
you  cannot  do  better  than  stop  him,  and  give  him  a  penny." 

"  Will  he  let  it  go  so  desperate  cheap  as  that?"  demanded 
Jason,  his  eyes  twinkling  with  a  sort  of  "  bitters"  expecta 
tion. 

"  That  is  the  stated  price.  Stop  him  boldly ;  there  is  no 
occasion  for  all  this  Connecticut  modesty.  Here,  uncle,  this 
gentleman  wishes  a  cup  of  your  white  wine." 

Jason  turned  away  in  alarm,  to  see  who  was  looking  on; 
and,  when  the  cup  was  put  into  his  hand,  he  shut  his  eyes, 
determined  to  gulp  its  contents  at  a  swallow,  in  the  most 
approved  "  bitters"  style.  About  half  the  liquor  went  down 
his  throat,  the  rest  being  squirted  back  in  a  small  white 
stream. 

"  Buttermilk,  by  Jingo  !"  exclaimed  the  disappointed  peda 
gogue,  who  expected  some  delicious  combination  of  spices 
with  rum.  St.  Jingo  was  the  only  saint,  and  a  "  darnation" 
or  "  darn  you,"  were  the  only  oaths  his  puritan  education 
ever  permitted  him  to  use. 


SATANSTOE 


CHAPTER  V. 

"Here's  your  fine  clams ! 
As  white  as  snow  ! 
On  Rockaway  these  clams  do  grow." 

New  York  Cries. 

IT  was  some  time  before  Jason's  offended  dignity  and  dis 
appointment  would  permit  him  to  smile  at  the  mistake ;  and 
we  had  walked  some  distance  towards  Old  Slip,  where  I 
was  to  meet  Dirck,  before  the  pedagogue  even  opened  his 
lips.  Then,  the  only  allusion  he  made  to  the  white  wine, 
was  to  call  it  "  a  plaguy  Dutch  cheat ;"  for  Jason  had  im 
plicitly  relied  on  having  that  peculiar  beverage  of  his  caste, 
known  as  "  bitters."  What  he  meant  by  a  Dutch  cheat,  I 
do  not  know ;  unless  he  thought  the  buttermilk  was  particu 
larly  Dutch,  and  this  buttermilk  an  imposition. 

Dirck  was  waiting  for  me  at  the  Old  Slip ;  and,  on  in 
quiry,  I  found  he  had  enjoyed  his  draught  of  white  wine  as 
well  as  myself,  and  was  ready  for  immediate  service.  We 
proceeded  along  the  wharves  in  a  body,  admiring  the  dif 
ferent  vessels  that  lined  them.  About  nine  o'clock,  all  three 
of  us  passed  up  Wall  Street,  on  the  stoops  of  which,  no 
small  portion  of  its  tenants  were  already  seated,  enjoying 
the  sight  of  the  negroes,  as,  with  happy  "  shining"  faces 
they  left  the  different  dwellings,  to  hasten  to  the  Pinkster 
field.  Our  passage  through  the  street  attracted  a  good  deal 
of  attention ;  for,  being  all  three  strangers,  it  was  not  to  be 
supposed  we  could  be  thus  seen  in  a  body,  without  exciting 
a  remark.  Such  a  thing  could  hardly  have  been  expected 
in  London  itself. 

After  showing  Jason  the  City  Hall,  Trinity  Church,  and 
the  City  Tavern,  we  went  out  of  town,  taking  the  direction 
of  a  large  common  that  the  King's  officers  had  long  used 
for  a  parade-ground,  and  which  has  since  been  called  the 
Park,  though  it  would  be  difficult  to  say  why,  since  it  is 
barely  a  paddock  in  size,  and  certainly  has  never  been  used 
to  keep  any  animals  wilder  than  the  boys  of  the  town.  A 
park,  I  suppose,  it  will  one  day  become,  though  it  has  little 


70  SATANSTOE. 

at  present  that  comports  with  my  ideas  of  such  a  thing, 
On  this  common,  then,  was  the  Pinkster  ground,  which  was 
now  quite  full  of  people,  as  well  as  of  animation. 

There  was  nothing  new  in  a  Pinkster  frolic,  either  to 
Dirck,  or  to  myself;  though  Jason  gazed  at  the  whole  pro 
cedure  with  wonder.  He  was  born  within  seventy  miles  of 
that  very  spot,  but  had  not  the  smallest  notion  before,  of 
such  a  holiday  as  Pinkster.  There  are  few  blacks  in  Con 
necticut,  I  believe  ;  and  those  that  are  there,  are  so  ground 
down  in  the  Puritan  mill,  that  they  are  neither  fish,  flesh, 
nor  red-herring,  as  we  say  of  a  non-descript.  No  man  ever 
heard  of  a  festival  in  New  England,  that  had  not  some  im 
mediate  connection  with  the  saints,  or  with  politics. 

Jason  was  at  first  confounded  with  the  noises,  dances, 
music,  and  games  that  were  going  on.  By  this  time,  nine- 
tenths  of  the  blacks  of  the  city,  and  of  the  whole  country 
within  thirty  or  forty  miles,  indeed,  were  collected  in 
thousands  in  those  fields,  beating  banjoes,  singing  African 
songs,  drinking,  and  worst  of  all,  laughing  in  a  way  that 
seemed  to  set  their  very  hearts  rattling  within  their  ribs. 
Everything  wore  the  aspect  of  good-humour,  though  it  was 
good-humour  in  its  broadest  and  coarsest  forms.  Every 
sort  of  common  game  was  in  requisition,  while  drinking  was 
far  from  being  neglected.  Still,  not  a  man  was  drunk.  A 
drunken  negro,  indeed,  is  by  no  means  a  common  thing. 
The  features  that  distinguish  a  Pinkster  frolic  from  the  usual 
scenes  at  fairs,  and  other  merry-makings,  however,  were  of 
African  origin.  It  is  true,  there  are  not  now,  nor  were 
there  then,  many  blacks  among  us  of  African  birth ;  but 
the  traditions  and  usages  of  their  original  country  were  so 
far  preserved  as  to  produce  a  marked  difference  between 
this  festival,  and  one  of  European  origin.  Among  other 
things,  some  were  making  music,  by  beating  on  skins  drawn 
over  the  ends  of  hollow  logs,  while  others  were  dancing  to 
it,  in  a  manner  to  show  that  they  felt  infinite  delight.  This, 
in  particular,  was  said  to  be  a  usage  of  their  African  pro 
genitors. 

Hundreds  of  whites  were  walking  through  the  fields, 
amused  spectators.  Among  these  last  were  a  great  many 
children  of  the  better  class,  who  had  come  to  look  at  the 
enjoyment  of  those  who  attended  them,  in  their  own  ordinary 


SATANSTOE.  71 

amusements.  Many  a  sable  nurse  did  I  see  that  day,  cha 
peroning  her  young  master,  01  young  mistress,  or  both  to 
gether,  through  the  various  groups ;  demanding  of  all,  and 
receiving  from  all,  the  respect  that  one  of  these  classes  was 
accustomed  to  pay  to  the  other. 

A  great  many  young  ladies  between  the  ages  of  fifteen 
and  twenty  were  also  in  the  field,  either  escorted  by  male 
companions,  or,  what  was  equally  as  certain  of  producing 
deference,  under  the  care  of  old  female  nurses,  who  be 
longed  to  the  race  that  kept  the  festival.  We  had  been  in 
the  field  ourselves  two  hours,  and  even  Jason  was  beginning 
to  condescend  to  be  amused,  when,  unconsciously,  I  got 
separated  from  my  companions,  and  was  wandering  through 
the  groups  by  myself,  as  I  came  on  a  party  of  young  girls, 
who  were  under  the  care  of  two  or  three  wrinkled  and 
grey-headed  negresses,  so  respectably  attired,  as  to  show  at 
once  they  were  confidential  servants  in  some  of  the  better 
families.  As  for  the  young  ladies  themselves,  most  were 
still  of  the  age  of  school  girls  ;  though  there  were  some  of 
that  equivocal  age,  when  the  bud  is  just  breaking  into  the 
opening  flower,  and  one  or  two  that  were  even  a  little  older ; 
young  women  in  forms  and  deportment,  though  scarcely  so 
in  years.  One  of  a  party  of  two  of  the  last,  appeared  to 
me  to  possess  all  the  grace  of  young  womanhood,  rendered 
radiant  by  the  ingenuous  laugh,  the  light-hearted  playful 
ness,  and  the  virgin  innocence  of  sweet  seventeen.  She 
was  simply,  but  very  prettily  dressed,  and  everything  about 
her  attire,  air,  carriage  and  manner,  denoted  a  young  lady 
of  the  better  class,  who  was  just  old  enough  to  feel  all  the 
proprieties  of  her  situation,  while  she  was  still  sufficiently 
youthful  to  enjoy  all  the  fun.  As  she  came  near  me,  it 
seemed  as  if  I  knew  her ;  but  it  was  not  until  I  heard  her 
sweet,  mirthful  voice,  that  I  recollected  the  pretty  little 
thing  in  whose  behalf  I  had  taken  a  round  with  the 
butcher's  boy,  on  the  Bowery  road,  near  six  years  before. 
As  her  party  came  quite  near  the  spot  where  I  stood,  what 
was  only  conjecture  at  first,  was  reduced  to  a  certainty. 

In  the  surprise  of  the  moment,  happening  to  catch  the 
eye  of  the  young  creature,  I  was  emboldened  to  make  her 
a  low  bow.  At  first  she  smiled,  like  one  who  fancies  she 
recognises  an  acquaintance ;  then  her  face  became  scarlet, 


72  SATANSTOE. 

and  she  returned  my  bow  with  a  very  lady-like,  but,  at  the 
same  time,  a  very  distant  curtsey;  upon  which,  bending  her 
blue  eyes  to  the  ground,  she  turned  away,  seemingly  to 
speak  to  her  companion.  After  this,  I  could  not  advance 
to  speak,  though  I  was  strongly  in  hopes  the  old  black 
nurse  who  was  with  her  would  recognise  me,  for  she  had 
manifested  much  concern  about  me  on  the  occasion  of  the 
quarrel  with  the  young  butcher.  This  did  not  occur ;  and 
old  Katrinke,  as  I  heard  the  negress  called,  jabbered  away, 
explaining  the  meaning  of  the  different  ceremonies  of  her 
race,  to  a  cluster  of  very  interested  listeners,  without  paying 
any  attention  to  me.  The  tongues  of  the  pretty  little  things 
went,  as  girls'  tongues  will  go,  though  my  unknown  fair 
one  maintained  all  the  reserve  and  quiet  of  manner  that 
comported  with  her  young  womanhood,  and  apparent  con 
dition  in  life. 

"  Dere,  Miss  Anneke !"  exclaimed  Katrinke,  suddenly; 
"  dere  come  a  genttleum  dat  will  bring  a  pleasure,  I  know." 

"  Anneke,"  I  repeated,  mentally,  and  "gentleman  that 
will  cause  pleasure  by  his  appearance."  "  Can  it  be 
Dirck  ?"  I  thought.  Sure  enough,  Dirck  it  proved  to  be, 
who  advanced  rapidly  to  the  group,  making  a  general 
salute,  and  finishing  by  shaking  my  beautiful  young  stran 
ger's  hands,  and  addressing  her  by  the  name  of  "  cousin 
Anneke."  This,  then,  was  Annie  Mordaunt,  as  the  young 
lady  was  commonly  called  in  the  English  circles,  the  only 
child  and  heiress  of  Herman  Mordaunt,  of  Crown  Street 
and  of  Lilacsbush.  Well,  Dirck  has  more  taste  than  I  had 
ever  given  him  credit  for  !  Just  as  this  thought  glanced 
through  my  mind,  my  figure  caught  my  friend's  eye,  and, 
with  a  look  of  pride  and  exultation,  he  signed  to  me  to 
draw  nearer,  though  I  had  managed  to  get  pretty  near  as  it 
was,  already. 

"  Cousin  Anneke,"  said  Dirck,  who  never  used  circumlo 
cution,  when  direct  means  were  at  all  available,  "  this  is 
Corny  Littlepage,  of  whom  you  have  heard  me  speak  so 
often,  and  for  whom  I  ask  one  of  your  best  curtsies  and 
sweetest,  smiles." 

Miss  Mordaunt  was  kind  enough  to  comply  literally,  both 
curtsying  and  smiling  precisely  as  she  had  been  desired  to 
do,  though  1  could  see  she  was  also  slightly  disposed  to 


8  A  T  A  N  S  T  O  K  .  73 

taugh.  I  was  still  making  my  bow,  and  mumbling  some 
unintelligible  compliment,  when  Katrinke  gave  a  little  ex 
clamation,  and  using  the  freedom  of  an  old  and  confidential 
servant,  she  eagerly  pulled  the  sleeve  of  her  young  mis 
tress,  and  hurriedly  whispered  something  in  her  ear.  Anneke 
coloured,  turned  quickly  towards  me,  bent  her  eyes  more 
boldly  and  steadily  on  my  face — and  then  it  was  that  I  fan 
cied  the  sweetest  smile  which  mortal  had  ever  received,  or 
that  with  which  I  had  just  before  been  received,  was  much 
surpassed. 

"  Mr.  Littlepage,  I  believe,  is  not  a  total  stranger,  cousin 
Dirck,"  she  said.  "  Katrinke  remembers  him,  as  a  young 
gentleman  who  once  did  me  an  important  service,  and  now 
[  think  [  can  trace  the  resemblance  myself.  I  allude  to  the 
boy  who  insulted  me  on  the  Bowery  Road,  Mr,  Littlepage, 
and  your  handsome  interference  in  my  behalf." 

"  Had  there  been  twenty  boys,  Miss  Mordaunt,  an  insult 
to  you  would  have  been  resented  by  any  man  of  ordinary 
spirit." 

I  do  not  know  that  any  youth,  who  was  suddenly  put  to 
his  wits  to  be  polite,  or  sentimental,  or  feeling,  could  have 
done  a  great  deal  better  than  that!  So  Anneke  thought  too, 
1  fancy,  for  her  colour  increased,  rendering  her  ravishingly 
lovely,  and  she  looked  surprisingly  pleased. 

"  Yes,"  put  in  Dirck  with  energy, — "  let  twenty,  or  a 
hundred  try  it  if  they  please,  Anneke,  men  or  boys,  and 
they  'II  find  those  that  will  protect  you." 

"  You  for  one,  of  course,  cousin  Dirck,"  rejoined  the 
charming  girl,  holding  out  her  hand  towards  my  friend, 
with  a  frankness  I  could  have  dispensed  with  in  her;  "  but, 
you  will  remember,  Mr.  Littlepage,  or  Master  Littlepage  as 
he  then  was,  was  a  stranger,  and  I  had  no  such  claim  on 
7iim,  as  I  certainly  have  on  you." 

"  Well,  Corny,  it  is  odd  you  never  said  a  word  of  this  to 
me !  when  I  was  showing  him  Lilacsbush,  and  talking  oi 
you  and  of  your  father,  not  a  word  did  he  say  on  the  sub 
ject." 

"  I  did  not  then  know  it  was  Miss  Mordaunt  I  had  been 
so  fortunate  as  to  serve;  but  here  is  Mr.  Newcome  at  your 
elbow,  Pollock,  and  dying  to  be  introduced,  as  he  sees  I 
have  been." 

7 


74  SATANSTOE. 

Anneke  turned  to  smile  and  curtsey  again  to  Jason,  who 
made  his  bow  in  a  very  school-master  sort  of  a  fashion, 
while  I  could  see  that  the  circumstance  I  had  not  boasted 
of  my  exploit  gave  it  new  importance  in  the  sweet  crea 
ture's  eyes.  As  for  Jason,  he  had  no  sooner  got  along  with 
the  introduction, — the  first,  I  fancy,  he  had  ever  gone  regu 
larly  through,  —  than,  profiting  by  some  questions  Miss 
Mordaunt  was  asking  Dirck  about  his  mother  and  the  rest 
of  the  family,  he  came  round  to  me,  drew  me  aside  by  a 
jerk  of  the  sleeve,  and  gave  me  to  understand  he  had  some 
thing  for  my  private  ear. 

"  I  did  not  know  before  that  you  had  ever  kept  school, 
Corny,"  he  half  whispered  earnestly. 

"  How  do  you  know  it  now,  Mr.  Newcome,  since  the 
thing  never  happened  ?" 

"  How  comes  it,  then,  that  this  young  woman  called  you 
Master  Littlepage  ?" 

"  Bah !  Jason,  wait  a  year  or  two,  and  you  will  begin  to 
get  truer  notions  of  us  New-Yorkers." 

"  But  I  heard  her  with  my  own  ears — Master  Littlepage; 
as  plain  as  words  were  ever  called." 

"  Well,  then,  Miss  Mordaunt  must  be  right,  and  I  have 
forgotten  the  affair.  I  must  once  have  kept  a  woman's 
school,  somewhere,  in  my  younger  days,  but  forgotten  it." 

"  Now  this  is  nothing  (nawthin',  as  expressed)  but  your 
desperate  York  pride,  Corny ;  but  I  think  all  the  better  of 
you  for  it.  Why,  as  it  could  not  have  taken  place  after 
you  went  to  college,  you  must  have  got  the  start  of  even 
me !  But,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  is  enough  to  start  a  youth 
with  a  large  capital,  if  he  be  so  minded.  I  admit  he  does 
understand  the  dead  languages.  It  is  a  pity  he  is  so  very 
dead  in  religious  matters." 

"  Well — well — I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  another  time ; 
you  perceive,  now,  that  Miss  Mordaunt  wishes  to  move  on, 
and  does  not  like  to  quit  us  too  abruptly.  Let  us  follow." 

Jason  complied,  and  for  an  hour  or  two  we  had  the  plea 
sure  of  accompanying  the  young  ladies,  as  they  strolled 
among  the  booths  and  different  groups  of  that  singular  as 
sembly.  As  has  been  said,  most  of  the  blacks  had  been 
born  in  the  colony,  but  there  were  some  native  Africans 
among  them,  New  York  never  had  slaves  on  the  system 


SATANSTOE.  75 

of  the  southern  planters,  or  in  gangs  of  hundreds,  to  labour 
in  the  fields  under  overseers,  and  who  lived  apart  in  cabins 
of  their  own  ;  but,  our  system  of  slavery  was  strictly  domes 
tic,  the  negro  almost  invariably  living  under  the  same  roof 
with  the  master,  or,  if  his  habitation  was  detached,  as  cer 
tainly  sometimes  happened,  it  was  still  near  at  hand,  leav 
ing  both  races  as  parts  of  a  common  family.  In  the  coun 
try,  the  negroes  never  toiled  in  the  field,  but  it  was  as  ordinary 
husbandmen ;  and,  in  the  cases  of  those  who  laboured  on 
their  own  property,  or  as  tenants  of  some  extensive  land 
lord,  the  black  did  his  work  at  his- master's  side.  Then  all, 
or  nearly  all  our  household  servants  were,  and  still  are, 
blacks,  leaving  that  department  of  domestic  economy  almost 
exclusively  in  their  hands,  with  the  exception  of  those  cases 
in  which  the  white  females  busied  themselves  also  in  such 
occupations,  united  to  the  usual  supervision  of  the  mistresses 
Among  the  Dutch,  in  particular,  the  treatment  of  the  negro 
was  of  the  kindest  character,  a  trusty  field-slave  often  hav 
ing  quite  as  much  to  say  on  the  subject  of  the  tillage  and 
the  crops,  as  the  man  who  owned  both  the  land  he  worked, 
and  himself. 

A  party  of  native  Africans  kept  us  for  half  an  hour.  The 
scene  seemed  to  have  revived  their  early  associations,  and 
they  were  carried  away  with  their  own  representation  of 
semi-savage  sports.  The  American-born  blacks  gazed  at 
this  group  with  intense  interest  also,  regarding  them  as  so 
many  ambassadors  from  the  land  of  their  ancestors,  to  en 
lighten  them  in  usages  and  superstitious  lore,  that  were 
more  peculiarly  suited  to  their  race.  The  last  even 
endeavoured  to  imitate  the  acts  of  the  first,  and,  though  the 
attempt  was  often  ludicrous,  it  never  failed  on  the  score  of 
intention  and  gravity.  Nothing  was  done  in  the  way  of 
caricature,  but  much  in  the  way  of  respect  and  affection. 

Lest  the  habits  of  this  generation  should  pass  away  and 
be  forgotten,  of  which  I  see  some  evidence,  I  will  mention 
a  usage  that  was  quite  common  among  the  Dutch,  and 
which  has  passed  in  some  measure,  into  the  English  families 
that  have  formed  connections  with  the  children  of  Holland. 
Two  of  these  intermarriages  had  so  far  brought  the  Little- 
pages  within  the  pale,  that  the  usage  to  which  I  allude  was 
practised  in  my  own  case.  The  custom  was  this :  when  a 


^6  SATANSTOE. 

child  of  the  family  reached  the  age  of  six,  or  eight,  a  young 
slave  of  the  same  age  and  sex,  was  given  to  him,  or  her, 
with  some  little  formality,  and  from  that  moment  the  for 
tunes  of  the  two  were  considered  to  be,  within  the  limits  of 
their  respective  pursuits  and  positions,  as  those  of  man  and 
wife.  It  is  true,  divorces  do  occur,  hut  it  is  only  in  cases 
of  gross  misconduct,  and  quite  as  often  the  misconduct  is  on 
the  side  of  the  master,  as  on  that  of  the  slave.  A  drunkard 
may  get  in  debt,  and  be  compelled  to  part  with  his  blacks ; 
this  one  among  the  rest ;  but  this  particular  negro  remains 
with  him  as  long  as  anything  remains.  Slaves  that  seri 
ously  misbehave,  are  usually  sent  to  the  islands,  where  the 
toil  on  the  sugar  plantations  proves  a  very  sufficient  punish 
ment. 

The  day  I  was  six,  a  boy  was  given  to  me,  in  the  manner 
I  have  mentioned ;  and  he  remained  not  only  my  property, 
but  my  factotum,  to  this  moment.  It  was  Yaap,  or  Jacob, 
the  negro  to  whom  I  have  already  had  occasion  to  allude. 
Anneke  Mordaunt,  whose  grandmother  was  of  a  Dutch 
family,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  with  her  there,  in  the  Pink 
ster  field,  a  negress  of  just  her  own  age,  who  was  called 
Mart  ;  not  Mary,  or  Maria ;  but  the  last,  as  it  would  be 
pronounced  without  the  final  a.  This  Marz  was  a  buxom, 
glistening,  smooth-faced,  laughing,  red-lipped,  pearl-toothed, 
black-eyed  hussy,  that  seemed  born  for  fun  ;  and  who  was 
often  kept  in  order  by  her  more  sedate  and  well-mannered 
young  mistress  wilh  a  good  deal  of  difficulty.  My  fellow 
was  on  the  ground,  somewhere,  too;  for  I  had  given  him 
permission  to  come  to  town  to  keep  Pinkster;  and  he  was 
to  leave  Satanstoe,  in  a  sloop,  within  an  hour  after  I  left  it 
myself.  The  wind  had  been  fair,  and  I  made  no  question 
of  his  having  arrived ;  though,  as  yet,  I  had  not  seen  him. 

I  could  have  accompanied  Anneke,  and  her  party,  all  day, 
through  that  scene  of  unsophisticated  mirth,  and  felt  no  want 
of  interest.  Her  presence  immediately  produced  an  im 
pression  ;  even  the  native  Africans  moderating  their  manner, 
and  lowering  their  yells,  as  it  might  be,  the  better  to  suit 
her  more  refined  tastes.  No  one,  in  our  set,  was  too  digni 
fied  to  laugh,  but  Jason.  The  pedagogue,  it  is  true,  often 
expressed  his  disgust  at  the  amusements  and  antics  of  the 
negroes,  declaring  they  were  unbecoming  human  beings , 


SATANSTOE.  77 

and  otherwise  manifesting  that  disposition  to  hypercriticism, 
which  is  apt  to  distinguish  one  who  is  only  a  tyro  in  his 
own  case. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things,  when  MaH  came  rushing 
up  to  her  young  mistress,  with  distended  eyes  and  uplifted 
hands,  exclaiming,  on  a  key  that  necessarily  made  us  all 
sharers  in  the  communication — 

"Oh!  Miss  Anneke !  —  What  you  fink,  Miss  Anneke! 
Could  you  ever  s'pose  sich  a  t'ing,  Miss  Anneke !" 

"  Tell  me  at  once,  Mari,  what  it  is  you  have  seen,  or 
heard;  and  leave  off  these  silly  exclamations;"  said  the 
gentle  mistress,  with  a  colour  that  proved  she  was  unused 
to  her  own  girl's  manner. 

«*  Who  could  t'ink  it,  Miss  Anneke !  Dese,  here,  werry 
niggers  have  sent  all  'e  way  to  deir  own  country,  and  have 
had  a  lion  cotched  for  Pinkster !" 

This  was  news,  indeed,  if  true.  Not  one  of  us  all  had 
ever  seen  a  lion ;  wild  animals,  then,  being  exceedingly 
scarce  in  the  colonies,  with  the  exception  of  those  that  were 
taken  in  our  own  woods.  I  had  seen  several  of  the  small 
brown  bears,  and  many  a  wolf,' and  one  stuffed  panther,  in 
my  time ;  but  never  supposed  it  within  the  range  of  possi 
bilities,  that  I  could  be  brought  so  near  a  living  lion.  In 
quiry  showed,  nevertheless,  that  Mari  was  right,  with  the 
exception  of  the  animal's  having  been  expressly  caught  for 
the  occasion.  It  was  the  beast  of  a  showman,  who  was  also 
the  proprietor  of  a  very  active  and  amusing  monkey.  The 
price  of  admission  was  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  for  adult  whites; 
children  and  negroes  going  in  for  half-price.  These  pre 
liminaries  understood,  it  was  at  once  settled  that  all  who 
could  muster  enough  of  money  and  courage,  should  go  in  a 
body,  and  gaze  on  the  king  of  beasts.  I  say,  of  courage ; 
for  it  required  a  good  deal  for  a  female  novice  to  go  near  a 
living  lion. 

The  lion  was  kept  in  a  cage,  of  course,  which  was  placed 
in  a  temporary  building  of  boards,  that  had  been  erected  for 
the  Pinkster  field.  As  we  drew  near  the  door,  I  saw  that 
the  cheeks  of  several  of  the  pretty  young  creatures  who  be 
longed  to  the  party  of  Anneke,  began  to  turn  pale;  a  sign 
of  weakness  that,  singular  as  it  may  appear,  very  sensibly 
extended  itself  to  most  of  their  attendant  negresses.  Mari 
7* 


78  SATANSTOE. 

did  not  flinch,  however ;  and,  when  it  came  to  the  trial,  of 
that  sex,  she  and  her  mistress  were  the  only  two  who  held 
out  in  the  original  resolution  of  entering.  Some  time  was 
thrown  away  in  endeavouring  to  persuade  two  or  three  of 
her  older  companions  to  go  in  with  her;  but,  finding  it  use 
less,  with  a  faint  smile,  Miss  Mordaunt  calmly  said — 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  Mari  and  myself  must  compose  the 
female  portion  of  the  party.  I  have  never  seen  a  lion,  and 
would  not,  by  any  means,  miss  this  opportunity.  We  shall 
find  my  friends  waiting  for  such  portions  of  us  as  shall  not 
be  eaten,  on  our  return." 

We  were  now  near  the  door,  where  stood  the  man  who 
received  the  money,  and  gave  the  tickets.  It  happened 
that  Dirck  had  been  stopped  by  a  gentleman  of  his  ac 
quaintance,  who  had  just  left  the  building,  and  who  was 
laughingly  relating  some  incident  that  had  occurred  within. 
I  stood  on  one  side  of  Anneke,  Jason  on  the  other,  while 
Mari  was  close  in  the  rear. 

"  A  quarter  for  each  gentleman  and  the  lady,"  said  the 
door-keeper,  "and  a  shilling  for  the  wench." 

On  this  hint,  Jason,  to  my  great  surprise,  (for  usually  he 
was  very  backward  on  such  occasions,)  drew  out  a  purse,  and 
emptying  some  silver  into  his  hand,  he  said  with  a  flourish— 

"  Permit  me,  Miss  —  it  is  an  honour  I  covet;  a  quarter 
for  yourself,  and  a  shilling  for  Mari." 

I  saw  Anneke  colour,  and  her  eye  turn  hastily  towards 
Dirck.  Before  I  had  time  to  say  anything,  or  to  do  any 
thing  in  fact,  she  answered  steadily — 

"  Give  yourself  no  trouble,  Mr.  Newcome  ;  Mr.  Littlepage 
will  do  me  the  favour  to  obtain  tickets  for  me." 

Jason  had  the  money  in  his  fingers,  and  I  passed  him 
and  bought  the  tickets,  while  he  was  protesting — 

"  It  gave  him  pleasure — he  was  proud  of  the  occasion—" 
another  time  her  brother  could  do  the  same  for  his  sisters 
and  he  had  six,"  and  other  matters  of  the  sort. 

I  simply  placed  the  tickets  in  Anneke's  hand,  who  re 
ceived  them  with  an  expression  of  thanks,  and  we  all 
passed  ;  Dirck  inquiring  of  his  cousin,  as  he  came  up,  if  he 
should  get  her  tickets.  I  mention  this  little  incident  as 
showing  the  tact  of  woman,  and  will  relate  all  that  pertains 
to  it,  before  I  proceed  to  other  things.  Anneke  said  nothing 


SATANSTOE.  79 

on  the  subject  of  her  tickets  until  we  had  left  the  booth, 
when  she  approached  me,  and  with  that  grace  and  simpli 
city  which  a  well-bred  woman  knows  how  to  use  on  such 
an  occasion,  and  quietly  observed — 

"  I  am  under  obligations  to  you,  Mr.  Littlepage,  for 
having  paid  for  my  tickets ;  —  they  cost  three  shillings,  I 
believe." 

I  bowed,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  almost  touching  Miss 
Mordaunt's  beautiful  little  hand,  as  she  gave  me  the  money. 
At  this  instant,  a  jerk  at  my  elbow  came  near  causing  me 
to  drop  the  silver.  It  was  Jason,  who  had  taken  this 
liberty,  and  who  now  led  me  aside  with  an  earnestness  of 
manner  it  was  not  usual  for  him  to  exhibit.  I  saw  by  the 
portentous  look  of  the  pedagogue's  countenance,  and  his 
swelling  manner,  that  something  extraordinary  was  on  his 
mind,  and  waited  with  some  little  curiosity  to  learn  what  it 
might  be. 

"  Why,  what  in  human  natur',  Corny,  do  you  mean  ?" 
he  cried,  almost  angrily.  "  Did  ever  mortal  man  hear  of  a 
gentleman's  making  a  lady  pay  for  a  treat !  Do  you  know 
vou  have  made  Miss  Anneke  pay  for  a  treat  ?" 

"  A  treat,  Mr.  Newcome!" 

"  Yes,  a  treat,  Mr.  Corny  Littlepage  !  How  often  do  you 
think  young  ladies  will  accompany  you  to  shows,  and  balls, 
and  other  sights,  if  you  make  them  pay  /" 

Then  a  laugh  of  derision  added  emphasis  to  Jason's 
words. 

"  Pay!  — could  I  presume  to  think  Miss  Mordaunt  would 
suffer  me  to  pay  money  for  her,  or  for  her  servant  ?" 

"  You  almost  make  me  think  you  a  nat'ral !  Young  men 
always  pay  for  young  women,  and  no  questions  asked. 
Did  you  not  remark  how  smartly  I  offered  to  pay  for  this 
Miss,  and  how  well  she  took  it,  until  you  stepped  forward 
and  cut  me  out ;  —  I  bore  it,  for  it  saved  me  three  nine- 
pences." 

"  I  observed  how  Miss  Mordaunt  shrunk  from  the  fami 
liarity  of  being  called  Miss,  and  how  unwilling  she  was  to 
let  you  buy  the  tickets ;  and  that  I  suspect  was  solely  be 
cause  she  saw  you  had  some  notion  of  what  you  call  a 
treat." 

I  cannot  enter  into  the  philosophy  of  the  thing,  but  cer- 


80 


8 AT ANSTOE. 


tainly  nothing  is  more  vulgar  in  English,  to-  address  a 
young  lady  as  Miss,  without  affixing  a  name,  whereas  I 
know  it  is  the  height  of  breeding  to  say  Mademoiselle  in 
French,  and  am  told  the  Spaniards,  Italians  and  Germans, 
use  its  synonyme  in  the  same  manner.  I  had  been  indignant 
at  Jason's  familiarity  when  he  called  Anneke — the  pretty 
Anneke ! — Miss ;  and  felt  glad  of  an  occasion  to  let  him 
understand  how  I  felt  on  the  subject. 

"  What  a  child  you  be,  a'ter  all,  Corny  !"  exclaimed  the 
pedagogue,  who  was  much  too  good-natured  to  take  offence 
at  a  trifle.  "  You  a  bachelor  of  arts !  But  this  matter 
must  be  set  right,  if  it  be  only  for  the  honour  of  my  school. 
Folks"  —  Jason  never  blundered  on  the  words  'one'  or 
4  people'  in  this  sense — "  Folks  may  think  that  you  have 
been  in  the  school  since  it  has  been  under  my  care,  and  I 
wouldn't  for  the  world  have  it  get  abroad  that  a  youth  from 
my  school  had  neglected  to  treat  a  lady  under  such  circum 
stances."  .  •; 

Conceiving  it  useless  to  remonstrate  with  me  any  further, 
Jason  proceeded  forthwith  to  Anneke,  with  whom  he  begged 
permission  to  say  a  word  in  private.  So  eager  was  my 
companion  to  wipe  out  the  stain,  and  so  surprised  was  the 
young  lady,  who  gently  declined  moving  more  than  a  step, 
that  the  conference  took  place  immediately  under  my  ob 
servation,  neither  of  the  parties  being  aware  that  I  necessa 
rily  heard  or  saw  all  that  passed. 

"  You  must  excuse  Corny,  Miss,"  Jason  commenced, 
producing  his  purse  again,  and  beginning  to  hunt  anew  for 
a  quarter  and  a  shilling ;  "he  is  "quite  young,  and  knows 
nawthin'  worth  speaking  of,  of  the  ways  of  mankind.  Ah  ! 
here  is  just  the  money — three  ninepennies,  or  three  York 
shillings.  Here,  Miss,  excuse  Corny,  and  overlook  it  all ; 
when  he  is  older,  he  will  not  make  such  blunders." 

"  I  am  not  certain  that  I  understand  you,  sir !"  exclaimed 
Anneke,  who  had  shrunk  back  a  little  at  the  'Miss,' and 
who  now  saw  Jason  hold  out  the  silver,  with  a  surprise  she 
took  no  pains  to  conceal. 

"  This  is  the  price  of  the  tickets — yes,  that's  all.     Naw 
thin'  else,  on  honour.     Corny,  you  remember,  was  so  awful 
umb  as  to  let  you  payr  just  as  if  you  had  beea  a  gentle* 


man. 


SATANSTOJE.  81 

Anneke  now  smiled,  and  glancing  at  me  at  the  samo 
instant,  a  bright  blush  suffused  her  face,  though  the  mean- 
ing  of  my  eye,  as  I  could  easily  see,  strongly  tempted  her 
to  laugh. 

"  It  is  very  well  as  it  is,  Mr.  Newcome,  though  I  feel 
much  indebted  to  your  liberal  intentions,"  she  said,  turning 
to  rejoin  her  friends ;  "  it  is  customary  in  New  York  for 
ladies  to  pay,  themselves,  for  everything  of  this  nature. 
When  I  go  to  Connecticut,  I  shall  feel  infinitely  indebted  to 
you  for  another  such  offer." 

Jason  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it !  He  long  after 
insisted  that  the  young  lady  was  *  huffed,'  as  he  called  it, 
and  that  she  had  refused  to  take  the  money  merely  because 
she  was  thus  offended. 

"  There  is  a  manner,  you  know,  Corny,"  he  said,  "  of 
doing  even  a  genteel  thing,  and  that  is  to  do  it  genteelly.  I 
much  doubt  if  a  genteel  thing  can  be  done  ungenteelly. 
One  thing  I'm  thankful  for,  and  that  is,  that  she  don't  know 
that  you  ever  were  at  the  '  Seminarian  Institute'  in  your 
life ;"  such  being  the  appellation  Jason  had  given  to  that 
which  Mr.  Worden  had  simply  called  a  '  Boys'  School.' 
To  return  to  the  booth. 

The  lion  had  many  visitors,  and  we  had  some  difficulty 
in  finding  places.  As  a  matter  of  course,  Anneke  was  put 
in  front,  most  of  the  men  who  were  in  the  booth  giving  way 
to  her  with  respectful  attention.  Unfortunately,  the  young 
lady  wore  an  exceedingly  pretty  shawl,  in  which  scarle-t 
was  a  predominant  colour ;  and  that  which  occurred  has 
been  attributed  to  this  circumstance,  though  I  am  far  from 
affirming  such  to  have  been  literally  the  case.  Anneke, 
from  the  first,  manifested  no  fear ;  but  the  circle  pressing 
on  her  from  without,  she  got  so  near  the  cage  that  the  beast 
thrust  a  paw  through,  and  actually  caught  hold  of  the 
shawl,  drawing  the  alarmed  girl  quite  up  to  the  bars.  I 
was  at  Anneke's  side,  and  with  a  presence  of  mind  that 
now  surprises  me,  I  succeeded  in  throwing  the  shawl  from 
the  precious  creature's  shoulders,  and  of  fairly  lifting  her 
from  the  ground  and  setting  her  down  again  at  a  safe  dis 
tance  from  the  beast.  All  this  passed  so  soon  that  half  the 
persons  present  were  unconscious  of  what  had  occurred 
until  it  was  all  over ;  and  what  astonishes  me  most  is,  that 


82  SATANSTOE. 

I  do  not  retain  the  least  recollection  of  the  pleasure  I  ought 
to  have  felt  while  my  arm  encircled  Anneke  Mordaunt's 
slender  waist,  and  while  she  was  altogether  supported  by 
me.  The  keeper  interfered  immediately,  and  the  lion  re 
linquished  the  shawl,  looking  like  a  disappointed  beast  when 
he  found  it  did  not  contain  its  beautiful  owner. 

Anneke  was  rescued  before  she  had  time  fully  to  compre 
hend  the  danger  she  had  been  in.  Even  Dirck  could  not 
advance  to  her  aid,  though  he  saw  and  comprehended  the 
imminent  risk  ran  by  the  being  he  loved  best  in  the  world  ; 
but  Dirck  was  always  so  slow!  I  must  do  Jason  the  cre 
dit  to  say  that  he  behaved  well,  though  so  situated  as  to  be 
of  no  real  use.  He  rushed  forward  to  assist  Anneke,  and 
remained  to  draw  away  the  shawl,  as  soon  as  the  keeper 
had  succeeded  in  making  the  lion  relinquish  his  hold.  But, 
all  this  passed  so  rapidly,  as  to  give  little  opportunity  for 
noting  incidents. 

Anneke  was  certainly  well  frightened  by  this  adventure 
with  the  lion,  as  was  apparent  by  her  changing  colour,  and 
a  few  tears  that  succeeded.  Still,  a  glass  of  water,  and  a 
minute  or  two,  seated  in  a  chair,  were  sufficient  to  restore 
her  self-composure,  and  she  remained  with  us,  for  half  an 
hour,  examining  and  admiring  her  terrible  assailant. 

And,  here,  let  me  add,  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have 
never  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  king  of  beasts,  that 
he  is  a  sight  well  worthy  to  behold  !  I  have  never  viewed 
an  elephant,  which  travelled  gentlemen  tell  me  is  a  still 
more  extraordinary  animal,  though  I  find  it  difficult  to  ima 
gine  anything  finer,  in  its  way,  than  the  lion  which  came 
so  near  injuring  "sweet  Anne  Mordaunt."  I  question  if 
any  of  us  were  aware  of  the  full  extent  of  the  danger  she 
ran,  until  we  began  to  reflect  on  it  coolly,  after  time  and 
leisure  were  afforded.  As  soon  as  the  commotion  naturally 
produced  at  first,  had  subsided,  the  incident  seemed  forgot 
ten,  and  we  left  the  booth,  after  a  long  visit,  expatiating  on 
the  animal,  and  its  character,  apparently  in  forgetfulness 
of  that  which,  by  one  blow  of  his  powerful  paw,  the  lion 
might  have  rendered  fatal  to  one  of  the  very  sweetest  and 
happiest  innocents  of  the  whole  province,  but  for  the  timely 
and  merciful  interposition  of  a  kind  providence. 

After  the  little  affair  of  the  tickets,  I  walked  on  with 


8ATANSTOE.  83 

Anneke,  who  declared  her  intention  of  quitting  the  field,  her 
escape  beginning  to  affect  her  spirits,  and  she  was  afraid 
that  some  particularly  kind  friend  might  carry  an  exagge 
rated  account  of  what  had  happened  to  her  father.  Dirck 
offered  to  accompany  her  home,  for  Mr.  Mordaunt  kept  no 
carriage ;  or,  at  least,  nothing  that  was  habitually  used  as  a 
town  equipage.  We  had  all  gone  as  far  as  the  verge  of  the 
Common  with  Anneke,  when  the  sweet  girl  stopped,  looked 
at  me  earnestly,  and,  while  her  colour  changed  and  tears 
rose  to  her  eyes,  she  said, — 

"Mr.  Littlepage,  I  am  just  getting  to  be  fully  conscious  of 
what  I  owe  to  you.  The  thing  passed  so  suddenly,  and  I 
was  so  much  alarmed,  that  I  did  not  know  how  to  express 
myself  at  the  time,  nor  am  I  certain  that  I  do  now.  Believe 
me,  notwithstanding,  that  I  never  can  forget  this  morning, 
and  I  beg  of  you,  if  you  have  a  sister,  to  carry  to  her  the 
proffered  friendship  of  Anneke  Mordaunt,  and  tell  her  that 
her  own  prayers  in  behalf  of  her  brother  will  not  be  more 
sincere  than  mine." 

Before  I  could  recollect  myself,  so  as  to  make  a  suitable 
answer,  Anneke  had  curtsied  and  walked  away,  with  hef 
handkerchief  to  her  eyes. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  Nay,  be  brief: 

I  see  into  thy  end,  and  am  almost 
A  man  already." 

Cymbdine. 

As  Dirck  accompanied  Miss  Mordaunt  to  her  father's 
bouse  in  Crown  Street,*  I  took  an  occasion  to  give  Jason 
the  slip,  being  in  no  humour  to  listen  to  his  lectures  on  the 
proprieties  of  life,  and  left  the  Pinkster  field  as  fast  as  I 
could.  Notwithstanding  the  size  and  importance  of  New 
York,  a  holiday  like  this  could  not  fail  to  draw  great  crowds 

*  Now,  Liberty  Street. 


84  SATANSTOE. 

of  persons  to  witness  the  sports.  In  1757,  James  de 
cey  was  at  the  head  of  the  government  of  the  province,  as 
indeed  he  had  been,  in  effecty  for  much  of  his  life ;  and  I  re-- 
member  to  have  met  his  chariotr  carrying  the  younger  chil 
dren  of  the  family  to  the  field,  on  my  way  into  the  town, 
As  the  day  advanced,  carriages  of  one  sort  and  another 
made  their  appearance  in  Broadway,  principally  conveying 
the  children  of  their  different  owners.  All  these  belonged 
to  people  of  the  first  mark  j  and  I  saw  the  Ship  that  denotes 
the  arms  of  Livingston,  the  Lance,  of  the  de  Lanceys,  the 
Burning  Castle,  of  the  Morrises,  and  other  armorial  bearings 
that  were  well  known  in  the  province.  Carriages,  certainly, 
were  not  as  common  in  1757  as  they  have  since  become ; 
but  most  of  our  distinguished  people  rode  in  their  coaches, 
chariots,  or  phaetons,  or  conveyances  of  some  sort  or  other, 
when  there  was  occasion  to  go  so  far  out  of  town  as  the 
Common,  which  is  the  site  of  the  present  "  Park."  The 
roads  on  the  island  of  Manhattan  were  very  pretty  and  pic 
turesque,  winding  among  rocks  and  throagh  valleys,  being 
lined  with  groves  and  copses  in  a  way  to  render  all  the 
drives  rural  and  retired.  Here  and  triere,  one  came  to  a 
country-house,  the  residence  of  some  person  of  importance, 
which,  by  its  comfort  and  snugness,  gave  all  the  indications 
of  wealth  and  of  a  prudent  taste.  Mr.  Speaker  Nicoll*  had 

*  The  person  meant  here,  was  William  NicollT  Esquire,  Patentee 
of  Islip,  a  large  estate  on  Long  Island,  that  is  still  hi  the  family, 
under  a  Patent  granted  in  1683.  This  gentleman  was  a  son  of  Mr, 
Secretary  Nicoll,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  relatire  of  Col, 
Nicoll,  the  first  English  Governor.  Mr.  Speaker  Nicoll,  as  the  son 
was  called,  in  consequence  of  having  filled  that  office  for  nearly  a 
generation,  was  the  direct  ancestor  of  the  Nicolls  of  Islip  and  Shelter 
Island,  as  well  as  of  a  branch  long  settled  at  Stratford,  Connecticut. 
The  house  alluded  to  by  Mr.  Littlepage,  as  a  relic  of  antiquity  in  hit 
day,  —  American  antiquity,  be  it  remembered,  —  was  standing  a  few 
years  since,  if  it  be  not  still  standing,  at  the  point  of  junction  between 
the  Old  Boston  Road  and  the  New  Road,  and  nearly  opposite  to  the 
termination  of  the  long  avenue  that  led  to  Rosehill,  originally  a  seat 
of  the  Watts'.  The  house  stood  a  short  distance  above  the  present 
Union  Square,  and  not  far  from  that  of  the  present  Gramercy.  It 
was,  or  is,  a  brick-house  of  one  story,  with  a  small  court-yard  in 
front ;  the  House  of  Refuge  being  at  a  little  distance  on  its  right. 
If  still  standing,  it  must  now  be  one  of  the  oldest  buildings  of  any 
sort,  in  a  town  of  400,000  souls  !  As  Mr.  Speaker  Nicoll  resigned 
the  chair  in  1718,  this  house  must  be  at  least  a  hundred  and  thirty  or 


SATANSTOE.  &3 

occupied  a  dwelling  of  this  sort  for  a  long  series  of  years, 
that  was  about  a  league  from  town,  and  which  is  still  stand 
ing,  as  I  pass  it  constantly  in  travelling  between  Satanstoe 
and  York.  I  never  saw  the  Patentee  myself,  as  he  died 
long  before  my  birth ;  but  his  house  near  town  still  stands, 
as  1  have  said,  a  memorial  of  past  ages! 

The  whole  town  seemed  alive,  and  everybody  had  a  de 
sire  to  get  a  glance  at  the  sports  of  the  Pinkster  Field ;  though 
the  more  dignified  and  cultivated  had  self-denial  enough  to 
keep  aloof,  since  it  would  hardly  have  comported  with  their 
years  and  stations  to  be  seen  in  such  a  place.  The  war  had 
brought  many  regiments  into  the  province,  however,  and  I 
met  at  least  twenty  young  officers,  strolling  out  to  the  scene 
of  amusement,  as  I  walked  into  town.  I  will  confess  I 
gazed  at  these  youths  with  admiration,  and  not  entirely 
without  envy,  as  they  passed  me  in  pairs,  laughing  and 
diverting  themselves  with  the  grotesque  groups  of  blacks 
that  were  occasionally  met,  coming  in  from  their  sports. 
These  young  men  I  knew  had  enjoyed  the  advantages  of 
being  educated  at  home,  some  of  them,  quite  likely,  in  the 
Universities,  and  all  of  them  amid  the  high  civilization  and 
taste  of  England.  I  say  all  of  them,  too  hastily;  as  there 
were  young  men  of  the  colonies  among  them,  who  probably 
had  not  enjoyed  these  advantages.  The  easy  air,  self-pos 
session,  and  quiet,  what  shall  1  call  it?  —  insolence  would 
be  too  strong  a  word,  and  a  term  that  I,  the  son  and  grand 
son  of  old  king's  officers,  would  not  like  to  apply,  and  yet. 
it  comes  nearest  to  what  I  mean  as  applicable  to  the  covert 
manner  of  these  young  men — but,  whatever  it  was,  that  pecu 
liar  air  of  metropolitan  superiority  over  provincial  ignorance 
and  provincial  dependence,  which  certainly  distinguished  all 
the  younger  men  of  this  class,  had  an  effect  on  me,  I  find  it 
difficult  to  describe.  I  was  a  loyal  subject,  loved  the  King, 
— most  particularly  since  he  was  so  identified  with  the  Pro- 
forty  years  old  ;  and  it  may  bo  questioned  if  a  dozen  as  old,  public  of 
private,  can  be  found  on  the  whole  island. 

As  the  regular  family  residences  of  the  Nicolls  were  in  Suffolk,  or 
on  their  estates,  it  is  probable  that  the  abode  mentioned  was,  in  a 
measure,  owing  to  an  intermarriage  with  the  Watts?,  as  much  as  to 
the  necessity  of  the  Speaker's  passing  so  much  time  at  the  seat  of 
government. — EDITOR. 
8 


£6  SA.TANSTOE* 

testant  succession, — loved  all  of  the  blood-royal,  and  wished 
for  nothing  more  than  the  honour  and  lustre  of  the  English 
crown.  One  thus  disposed  could  not  but  feel  amicably 
towards  the  King's  officers ;  yet,  I  will  confess,  there  were 
moments  when  this  air  of  ill-concealed  superiority,  this 
manner  that  so  much  resembled  that  of  the  master  towards 
the  servant,  the  superior  to  the  dependent,  the  patron  to  the 
client,  gave  me  deep  offence,  and  feelings  so  bitter,  that  I 
was  obliged  to  struggle  hard  to  suppress  them.  But  this  is 
anticipating,  and  is  interrupting  the  course  of  my  narrative. 
1  am  inclined  to  think  there  must  always  be  a  good  deal  of 
this  feeling,  where  the  relation  of  principal  and  dependant 
exists,  as  between  distinct  territories. 

I  was  a  good  deal  excited,  and  a  little  fatigued  with  the 
walk  and  the  incidents  of  the  morning,  and  determined  to 
proceed  at  once  to  Duke  Street,  and  share  the  cold  dinner 
of  my  aunt;  for  few  private  families  in  York,  that  depended 
on  regular  cooks  for  their  food,  had  anything  served  warm 
on  their  tables,  for  that  and  the  two  succeeding  days. 
Here  and  there  a  white  substitute  was  found,  it  is  true,  and 
we  had  the  benefit  of  such  an  assistant  at  half-past  one.  It 
was  the  English  servant  of  a  Col.  Mosely,  an  officer  of  the 
army,  who  was  intimate  at  my  uncle's,  and  who  had  had 
the  civility  to  offer  a  man  for  this  occasion.  I  afterwards 
ascertained,  that  many  officers  manifested  the  same  kind 
spirit  towards  various  other  families  in  which  they  visited 
on  terms  of  friendship. 

Marriages  between  young  English  officers  and  our  pretty, 
delicate  York  belles,  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  I 
had  felt  a  twinge  or  two,  on  the  subject  of  Anneke,  that 
morning,  as  I  passed  the  youths  of  the  55lh,  60th,  or  Loyal 
Americans,  17th,  and  other  regiments  that  were  then  in  the 
province. 

My  aunt  was  descending  from  the  drawing-room,  in  din 
ner  dress — for  that  no  lady  ever  neglects,  even  though  she 
dines  on  a  cold  dumpling.  As  I  opened  the  street-door, 
Mrs.  Legge  was  not  coming  down  alone  to  take  her  seat  at 
tabie,  but,  having  some  extra  duty  to  perform  in  conse- 
quence  of  the  absence  of  most  of  her  household,  she  was 
engaged  in  that  service.  Seeing  me,  however,  she  stopped 
on  tne  landing  of  the  stairs,  and  beckoned  me  to  approach. 


8ATANSTOE.  87 

**  Corny,"  she  said,  "  what  have  you  been  doing,  my 
child,  to  have  drawn  this  honour  upon  you?" 

"  Honour !«— I  am  ignorant  of  having  even  received  any. 
What  can  you  mean,  my  dear  aunt?" 

"  Here  is  Herman  Mordaunt  waiting  to  see  you,  in  the 
drawing*room.  He  asked  particularly  for  you; — wishes  to 
see  you  —  expresses  his  regrets  that  you  are  not  in,  and 
talks  only  of  you  /" 

"  In  which  case,  I  ought  to  hasten  up  stairs  in  order  to 
receive  him,  as  soon  as  possible.  I  will  tell  you  all  about 
it  at  dinner,  aunt ; — -excuse  me  now." 

Away  I  went,  with  a  beating  heart,  to  receive  a  visit 
from  Anneke's  father.  I  can  scarcely  give  a  reason  why 
this  gentleman  was  usually  called,  when  he  was  spoken  of, 
and  sometimes  when  he  was  spoken  to,  Herman  Mordaunt  ; 
unless,  indeed,  it  were,  that  being  in  part  of  Dutch  extrac 
tion,  the  name  which  denoted  the  oircumstance  (Hermanus 
— pronounced  by  the  Hollanders,  Hermaanus,)  was  used  by 
a  portion  of  the  population  in  token  of  the  fact,  and  adopted 
by  others  in  pure  compliance.  But  Herman  Mordaunt  was 
he  usually  styled ;  and  this,  too,  in  the  way  of  respect,  and 
not  as  coarse-minded  persons  affect  to  speak  of  their  supe 
riors,  or  in  a  way  to  boast  of  their  own  familiarity.  I 
should  have  thought  it  an  honour,  at  my  time  of  life,  to 
receive  a  visit  from  Herman  Mordaunt ;  but  my  heart  fairly 
beat,  as  I  have  said,  as  I  went  hastily  up  stairs,  to  meet 
Anneke's  father. 

My  uncle  was  not  in,  and  I  found  my  visiter  waiting  for 
me,  alone,  in  the  drawing-room.  Aware  of  the  state  of  the 
family,  and  of  all  families,  indeed,  during  Pinkster,  he  had 
insisted  on  my  aunt's  quitting  him,  while  he  looked  over 
some  new  books  that  had  recently  been  received  from  home ; 
among  which  was  a  new  and  very  handsome  edition  of  the 
Spectator,  a  work  that  enjoys  a  just  celebrity  throughout 
the  colonies. 

Mr.  Mordaunt  advanced  to  receive  me  with  studied  po 
liteness,  yet  a  warmth  that  could  not  well  be  counterfeited, 
the  instant  I  approached.     Nevertheless,  his  manner  was 
easy  and  natural ;  and  to  me  he  appeared  to  be  the  highest- 
bred  man  I  had  ever  seen. 

"  I  am  thankful  that  the  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  you,  my 


88  SATANSTOE. 

young  friend,"  he  said,  at  once,  and  without  preface  of  any 
sort,  unless  that  of  manner  be  so  received,  "  is  due  to  the 
son  of  a  gentleman  I  so  much  esteem  as  Evans  Littlepage. 
A  loyal  subject,  an  honest  man,  and  a  well-connected  and 
well-descended  gentleman,  like  him,  may  well  be  the  parent 
of  a  brave  youth,  who  does  not  hesitate  to  face  even  lions, 
in  defence  of  the  weaker  sex." 

"  I  cannot  affect  to  misunderstand  you,  sir,"  I  answered  ; 
"  and  I  sincerely  congratulate  you  that  matters  are  no  worse; 
though  you  greatly  overrate  the  danger.  I  doubt  if  even  a 
lion  would  have  the  heart  to  hurt  Miss  Mordaunt,  were  she 
in  his  power." 

I  think  this  was  a  very  pretty  speech,  for  a  youth  of 
twenty ;  and  I  confess  I  look  back  upon  it,  even  now,  with 
complacency.  If  I  occasionally  betray  weakness  of  this 
character,  I  beg  the  reader  to  recollect  that  I  am  acting  in 
the  part  of  an  honest  Jiistorian,  and  that  it  is  my  aim  to 
conceal  nothing  that  ought  to  be  known. 

Herman  Mprdaunt  did  not  resume  his  seat,  on  account 
of  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  (half-past  one) ;  but  he  made 
me  professions  of  friendship,  and  named  Friday,  the  first 
moment  when  he  could  command  the  services  of  his  domes 
tics,  when  I  should  dine  with  him.  The  army  had  intro 
duced  later  hours  than  was  usual ;  and  this  invitation  was 
given  for  three  o'clock  ;  it  being  said,  at  the  time,  as  I  well 
remember,  that  persons  of  fashion  in  London  sat  down  to 
table  even  later  than  this.  After  remaining  with  me  five 
minutes,  Herman  Mordaunt  took  his  leave.  Of  course,  I 
accompanied  him  to  the  door,  where  we  parted  with  many 
bows. 

At  dinner,  I  told  my  uncle  and  aunt  all  that  had  occurred, 
and  was  glad  to  hear  them  both  speak  so  favourably  of  my 
new  acquaintances. 

"  Herman  Mordaunt  might  be  a  much  more  considerable 
man  than  he  is,"  observed  my  uncle,  "  were  he  disposed  to 
enter  into  public  life.  He  has  talents,  a  good  education,  a 
very  handsome  estate,  and  is  well-connected  in  the  colony, 
certainly;  some  say  at  home,  also." 

"  And  Anneke  is  a  sweet  young  thing,"  added  my  aunt ; 
"  and,  since  Corny  was  to  assist  any  young  lady,  I  arn 
heartily  glad  it  was  Anneke.  She  is  an  excellent  creature, 


SATANSTOE. 


89 


and  her  mother  was  one  of  my  most  intimate  friends,  as 
she  was  of  my  sister  Littlepage,  too.  You  must  go  and 
inquire  after  her  health,  this  evening,  Corny.  Such  an  at 
tention  is  due,  after  what  has  passed  all  round." 

Did  I  wish  to  comply  with  this  advice?  Out  of  all  ques 
tion  ;  and  yet  I  was  too  young,  and  too  little  at  my  ease,  to 
undertake  this  ceremony,  without  many  misgivings.  Luckily, 
Dirck  came  in,  in  the  evening ;  and  my  aunt  repeating  her 
opinion  before  my  friend,  he  at  once  declared  it  was  alto 
gether  proper,  and  that  he  thought  Anneke  would  have  a 
right  to  expect  it.  As  he  offered  to  be  my  companion,  we 
were  soon  on  our  way  to  Crown  Street,  in  which  Mr.  Mor- 
daunt  owned  and  inhabited  a  very  excellent  house.  We 
were  admitted  by  Mr.  Mordaunt  himself,  not  one  of  his 
blacks  having  yet  returned  from  the  Pinkster  field. 

Dirck  appeared  to  be  on  the  best  terms,  not  only  with 
Herman  Mordaunt,  but  with  his  charming  daughter.  I  had 
observed  that  the  latter  always  called  him  "  cousin  Dirck," 
and  I  hardly  knew  whether  to  interpret  this  as  a  sign  of  par 
ticular  or  of  family  regard.  That  Dirck  was  fonder  of  An 
neke  Mordaunt  than  of  any  other  human  being,  I  could  easily 
see ;  and  I  confess  that  the  discovery  already  began  to  cause 
uneasiness.  I  loved  Dirck,  and  wished  he  loved  any  one 
else  but  the  very  being  I  feared  he  did. 

Herman  Mordaunt  showed  me  the  way,  up  the  noble, 
wide,  mahogany-garnished  staircase  of  his  dwelling,  and 
ushered  us  into  a  very  handsome,  though  not  very  large, 
but  well-lighted  drawing-room.  There  sat  Anneke,  his 
daughter,  in  the  loveliness  of  her  maiden  charms,  a  little 
more  dressed  than  usual,  perhaps,  for  she  had  three  or  four 
young  and  lovely  girls  with  her,  and  five  or  six  young  men  ; 
among  whom  were  no  less  than  three  scarlet  coats. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  conceal  my  weakness.  Only  twenty, 
inexperienced  and  unaccustomed  to  town  society,  I  felt  awk 
ward  and  unpleasantly  the  instant  I  entered  the  room;  nor 
did  the  feeling  subside  during  the  first  half-hour.  Anneke 
came  forward,  one  or  two  steps,  to  meet  me;  and  I  could 
see,  she  was  almost  as  much  confused,  as  I  was  myself. 
She  blushed,  as  she  thanked  me  for  the  service  I  had  ren 
dered,  and  expressed  her  satisfaction  that  her  father  had 
been  fortunate  enough  to  find  me  at  home,  and  had  had  an 
8* 


90  SATANSTOE. 

opportunity  of  saying  a  little  of  what  he  felt,  on  the  occa 
sion.  She  then  invited  me  to  be  seated,  naming  me  to  the 
company,  and  telling  me  who  two  or  three  of  the  young 
ladies  were.  From  these  last  I  received  sundry  approving 
smiles ;  which  I  took  as  so  many  thanks  for  serving  their 
friend ;  while  I  could  not  help  seeing  that  I  was  an  object 
of  examination  to  most  of  the  men  present.  The  three 
officers,  in  particular,  looked  at  me  the  most  intently,  and 
the  longest. 

"  I  trust,  your  little  accident,  which  could  have  been  of  no 
great  moment,  in  itself,  since  you  escaped  so  well,  did  not 
have  the  effect  to  prevent  you  from  enjoying  the  rare  fun 
of  this  Pinkster  affair?"  said  one  of  the  scarlet  coats,  as 
eoon  as  the  movement  caused  by  my  reception  had  subsided. 

"You  call  it  a  '  little  accident,'  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  returned 
Anneke,  with  a  reproachful  shake  of  her  pretty  head,  "  but, 
I  can  assure  you,  it  is  not  a  trifle,  to  a  young  lady,  to  find 
herself  in  the  paws  of  a  lion." 

"  Serious  accident,  then  ;  since,  I  see,  you  are  resolved  to 
consider  yourself  a  victim  ;"  rejoined  the  other;  "  but,  not 
serious  enough,  I  trust,  to  deprive  you  of  the  fun?" 

"  Pinkster  fields,  and  Pinkster  frolics,  are  no  novelties  to 
us,  sir,  as  they  occur  every  season  ;  and  I  am  just  old  enough 
not  to  have  missed  one  of  them  all,  for  the  last  twelve 
years." 

"  We  heard  you  had  been  *  out,"  put  in  another  red-coat, 
whom  I  had  heard  called  Billings,  "  accompanied  by  a  little 
army,  of  what  Bulstrode  called,  the  Light  Infantry." 

Here  three  or  four  of  the  other  young  ladies  joined  in  the 
discourse,  at  once,  protesting  against  Mr.  Bulstrode's  placing 
their  younger  sisters  in  the  army,  in  so  cavalier  a  manner; 
an  accusation  that  Mr.  Bulstrode  endeavoured  to  parry,  by 
declaring  his  hopes  of  having  them  all,  not  only  in  the 
army,  but  in  his  own  regiment,  one  day  or  other.  At  this, 
there  was  a  certain  amount  of  mirth,  and  various  protesta 
tions  of  an  unwillingness  to  enlist;  in  which,  I  was  glad  to 
see,  that  neither  Anneke,  nor  her  most  intimate  friend,  Mary 
Wallace,  saw  fit  to  join.  I  liked  their  reserve  of  manner, 
far  better  than  the  girlish  trifling  of  their  companions  ;  and, 
I  could  see,  that  all  the  men  respected  them  the  more  for  it. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  general  and  disjointed  conversa- 


SATANSTOE.  91 

tion  that  succeeded ;  which  I  shall  not  pretend  to  follow  or 
relate,  but  confine  myself  to  such  observations  as  had  a 
bearing  on  matters  that  were  connected  with  myself. 

As  none  of  the  young  soldiers  were  addressed  by  their 
military  titles,  such  things  never  occurring  in  the  better 
circles,  as  I  now  discovered,  and,  least  of  all,  in  those  con 
nected  with  the  army,  I  was  not  able,  at  the  time,  to  ascer 
tain  the  rank  of  the  three  red-coats ;  though  I  afterwards 
ascertained,  that  the  youngest  was  an  ensign,  of  the  name 
of  Harris ;  a  mere  boy,  and  the  younger  son  of  a  member 
of  Parliament.  The  next  oldest,  Billings,  was  a  captain, 
and  was  said  to  be  a  natural  son  of  a  nobleman ;  while 
Bulstrode  was  actually  the  oldest  son  of  a  barorret,  of  three 
or  four  thousand  a  year,  and  had  already  bought  his  way 
up  as  high  as  a  Majority,  though  only  four-and-twenty. 
This  last  was  a  handsome  fellow,  too;  nor  had  I  been  an 
hour  in  his  company,  before  I  saw,  plainly  enough,  that  he 
was  a  strong  admirer  of  Anneke  Mordaunt.  The  other  two 
evidently  admired  themselves  too  much,  to  have  any  very 
lively  feelings  on  the  subject  of  other  persons.  As  for  Dirck, 
younger  than  myself,  and  diffident,  as  well  as  slow  by 
nature,  he  kept  himself  altogether  in  the  back-ground,  con 
versing,  most  of  the  time,  with  Herman  Mordaunt,  on  the 
subject  of  farming. 

We  had  been  together  an  hour,  and  I  had  acquired  suffi 
cient  ease  to  change  my  seat,  and  to  look  at  a  picture  or 
two,  which  adorned  the  walls,  and  which  were  said  to  be 
originals,  from  the  Old  World;  for,  to  own  the  truth,  the 
art  of  painting  has  not  made  much  progress  in  the  colonies. 
We  have  painters,  it  is  true,  and  one  or  two  are  said  to  be 
men  of  rare  merit,  the  ladies  being  very  fond  of  sitting  to 
them  for  their  portraits;  but  these  are  exceptions.  At  a 
future  day,  when  critics  shall  have  immortalized  the  names 
of  a  Smybert,  and  a  Watson,  and  a  Blackburn,  the  people 
of  these  provinces  will  become  aware  of  the  talents  they 
once  possessed  among  them  ;  and  the  grandchildren  of  those 
who  neglected  these  men  of  genius,  in  their  day — ay,  their 
descendants  to  the  latest  generations  —  will  revenge  the 
wrongs  of  merit  and  talent,  to  the  end  of  civilized  time.  It 
is  a  failing  of  colonies  to  be  diffident  of  their  own  opinions  ; 
but  I  have  heard  gentlemen,  who  were  educated  at  home, 


92  SATAN STOE. 

and  who  possessed  cultivated  and  refined  tastes,  affirm  that 
the  painters  of  Europe,  when  visiting  this  hemisphere,  have 
retained  all  their  excellence ;  and  have  painted  as  freely  and 
as  well,  under  an  American,  as  under  a  European  sun.  As 
for  a  sister  art,  the  Thespian  muse  had  actually  made  her 
appearance  among  us,  five  years  before  the  time  of  my  visit 
to  town  in  1757,  or  in  1752  ;  a  theatre  having  actually  been 
built  and  opened  in  Nassau  Street  in  1753,  with  a  company 
under  the  care  of  the  celebrated  Hallam,  and  his  family. 
This  theatre  I  had  been  dying  to  visit,  while  it  stood,  for  as 
yet  I  had  never  witnessed  a  theatrical  performance  ;  but  my 
mother's  injunctions  prevented  me  from  entering  it  while  at 
college.  "  When  you  are  old  enough,  Corny,"  she  used  to 
say,  "  you  shall  have  my  permission  to  go  as  often  as  is 
proper ;  but  you  are  now  of  an  age,  when  Shakspeare  and 
Rowe  might  unsettle  your  Latin  and  Greek."  My  task  of 
obedience  had  not  been  very  difficult,  inasmuch  as  the  build 
ing  in  Nassau  Street,  the  §econd  regular  theatre  ever  erected 
in  British  America,  was  taken  down,  and  a  church  erected 
in  its  place.*  The  comedians  went  to  the  islands,  and  had 
not  re-appeared  on  the  continent  down  to  the  period  of  which 
I  am  now  writing;  nor  did  their  return  occur  until  the  fol 
lowing  year.  That  they  were  expected,  however,  and  that 
a  new  house  had  been  built  for  them,  in  another  part  of  the 
town,  I  was  aware,  though  month  after  month  passed  away, 
and  the  much-expected  company  did  not  appear.  I  had 
understood,  however,  that  the  large  military  force  collecting 
in  the  colony,  would  be  likely  to  bring  them  back  soon  ;  and 
the  conversation  soon  took  a  turn,  that  proved  how  much 
interest  the  young,  the  gay,  and  the  fair,  felt  in  the  result. 
I  was  still  looking  at  a  picture,  when  Mr.  Bulstrode  ap 
proached  me,  and  entered  into  conversation.  It  will  be 
remembered,  that  this  gentleman  was  four  years  my  senior ; 
that  he  had  been  at  one  of  the  universities ;  was  the  heir  to 
a  baronetcy ;  knew  the  world ;  had  risen  to  a  Majority  in 
the  army,  and  was  by  nature,  as  well  as  training,  agreeable, 
when  he  had  a  mind  to  be,  and  genteel.  These  circum 
stances,!  could  not  but  feel,  gave  him  a  vast  advantage  over 
me;  and  I  heartily  wished  that  we  stood  anywhere  but  in 
the  presence  of  Anneke  Mordaunt,  as  he  thus  saw  fit  to 

*  The  church  is  now  (1845)  being  converted  into  a  Post-Offioe. 


SATANSTOE.  93 

single  me  out  for  invidious  comparison,  by  a  sort  of  tete-a- 
tete,  or  aside.  Still,  I  could  not  complain  of  his  manner, 
which  was  both  polite  and  respectful ;  though  I  could  scarce 
divest  myself  of  the  idea,  that  he  was  covertly  amusing  him 
self,  the  whole  time. 

"  You  are  a  fortunate  man,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  he  com 
menced,  "  in  having  had  it  in  your  power  to  do  so  import 
ant  a  service  to  Miss  Mordaunt.  We  all  envy  you  your 
luck,  while  we  admire  your  spirit,  and  I  feel  certain  the 
men  of  our  regiment  will  take  some  proper  notice  of  it. 
Miss  Anneke  is  in  possession  of  half  our  hearts,  and  we 
should  be  still  more  heartless  to  overlook  such  a  service." 

I  muttered  some  half-intelligible  answer  to  this  compli 
ment,  and  my  new  acquaintance  proceeded. 

"  I  am  almost  surprised,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  he  added,  "  that 
a  man  of  your  spirit  does  not  come  among  us  in  times  as 
stirring  as  these.  They  tell  me  both  your  father  and  grand 
father  served,  and  that  you  are  quite  at  your  ease.  You 
will  find  a  great  many  men  of  merit  and  fashion  among  us, 
and  I  make  no  doubt  they  would  contribute  to  make  your 
time  pass  agreeably  enough.  Large  reinforcements  are 
expected,  and  if  you  are  inclined  for  a  pair  of  colours,  I 
think  I  know  a  battalion  in  which  there  are  a  vacancy  or 
two,  and  which  will  certainly  serve  in  the  colonies.  It 
would  afford  me  great  pleasure  to  help  to  further  your  views, 
should  you  be  disposed  to  turn  them  towards  the  army." 

Now  all  this  was  said  with  an  air  of  great  apparent 
frankness  and  sincerity,  which  I  fancied  was  only  the  more 
visible  from  the  circumstance  that  Anneke  was  so  seated 
as  unavoidably  to  hear  every  word  of  what  was  said.  I 
observed  that  she  even  turned  her  eyes  on  me  as  I  made 
my  answer,  though  I  did  not  dare  so  far  to  observe  her  in 
turn  as  to  note  their  expression. 

"  I  am  very  sensible,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  of  the  liberality  and 
kindness  of  your  intentions,"  I  answered  steadily  enough, 
for  pride  came  to  my  assistance,  "  though  I  fear  it  will  not 
be  in  my  power  to  profit  by  it  at  once,  if  ever.  Mv  grand 
father  is  still  living,  and  he  has  much  influence  over  me  and 
my  fortune,  and  I  know  it  is  his  wish  that  I  should  remain 
at  Satanstoe." 

"  Where  ?"   demanded  Bulstrode,  with  more  quickness 


94  8ATANSTOE. 

and  curiosity  than  strictly  comported  with  good-breeding 
perhaps. 

"  Satanstoe ;  I  do  not  wonder  you  smile,  for  it  has  an 
odd  sound,  but  it  is  the  name  my  grandfather  has  given  the 
family  place  in  Westchester.  Given,  I  have  said,  though 
translated  would  be  better,  as  I  understand  the  present 
appellation  is  pretty  literally  rendered  into  English  from 
the  Dutch." 

"  I  like  the  name  exceedingly,  Mr.  Littlepage,  and  I  feel 
certain  I  should  like  your  good,  old,  honest,  Anglo-Saxon 
grandfather.  But,  pardon  me,  it  is  his  wish  you  should 
remain  at  Satansfoot?" 

"Satanstoe,  sir;  we  do  not  aspire  to  the  whole  foot.  It 
is  my  grandfather's  wish  that  I  remain  at  home  until  of 
age,  which  will  not  be  now  for  some  months." 

"  By  way  of  keeping  you  out  of  Satan's  footsteps,  I  sup 
pose.  Well,  these  old  gentlemen  are  often  right.  Should 
you  alter  your  views,  however,  my  dear  Littlepage,  do  not 
forget  me,  but  remember  you  can  count  on  one  who  has 
some  little  influence,  and  who  will  ever  be  ready  to  exert  it 
in  the  behalf  of  one  who  has  proved  so  serviceable  to  Miss 
Mordaunt.  Sir  Harry  is  a  martyr  to  the  gout,  and  talks 
of  letting  me  stand  in  his  place  at  the  dissolution.  In  that 
case  my  wishes  will  naturally  carry  more  weight.  I  like 
that  name  of  Salanstoe  amazingly  !" 

"  I  am  infinitely  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  though  I 
will  confess  I  have  never  looked  forward  to  rising  in  the 
world  by  taxing  my  friends.  One  may  own  that  he  nas 
had  some  hopes  founded  on  merit  and  honesty — " 

"  Poh  !  poh  !  —  my  dear  Littlepage,  honesty  is  a  very 
pretty  thing  to  talk  about,  but  I  suppose  you  remember 
what  Juvenal  says  on  that  interesting  subject — " probitas 
lavdatur  et  alget"  I  dare  say  you  are  fresh  enough  from 
college  to  remember  that  comprehensive  sentiment." 

"  I  have  never  read  Juvenal,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  and  never 
wish  to,  if  such  be  the  tendency  of  what  he  teaches — " 

"Juvenal  was  a  satirist,  you  know,"  interrupted  Bulstrode 
a  little  hastily,  for  by  this  time  he  too  had  ascertained  that 
Anneke  was  listening,  and  he  betrayed  some  eagerness  to 
get  rid  of  so  flagitious  a  sentiment ;  "  and  satirists  speak  of 
things  as  they  are,  rather  than  as  they  ought  to  be.  I  dare 


SATANSTOE.  95 

say  Rome  deserved  all  she  got,  for  the  moralists  give  a  very 
sad  account  of  her  condition.  Of  all  the  large  capitals  of 
which  we  have  any  account,  London  is  the  only  town  of 
even  tolerable  manners." 

What  young  Bulstrode  would  have  ventured  to  say  next, 
it  is  out  of  my  power  to  guess ;  for  a  certain  Miss  Warren, 
who  was  of  the  company,  and  who  particularly  affected  the 
youth,  luckily  called  out  at  this  critical  instant — 

"  Your  attention  one  moment,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Bulstrode; 
is  it  true  that  the  gentlemen  of  the  army  have  been  getting 
the  new  theatre  in  preparation,  and  that  they  intend  to  favour 
us  with  some  representations  ?  A  secret  something  like  this 
has  just  leaked  out,  from  Mr.  Harris,  who  even  goes  so  far 
as  to  add  that  you  can  tell  us  all  about  it." 

"  Mr.  Harris  must  be  put  under  an  arrest  for  this,  though 
I  hear  the  colonel  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag,  at  the  Lt.  Go 
vernor's  table,  as  early  as  last  week." 

"  I  can  assure  you,  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  Anneke  observed 
calmly,  "  that.  I  have  heard  rumours  to  this  effect  for  quite 
a  fortnight.  You  must  not  blame  Mr.  Harris  solely,  for 
your  whole  regiment  has  been  hinting  to  the  same  purpose 
far  and  near." 

"  Then  the  delinquent  will  escape,  this  time.  I  confess 
the  charge ;  we  have  hired  the  new  theatre,  and  do  intend 
to  solicit  the  honour  of  the  ladies  coming  to  hear  me  murder 
Cato,  and  Scrub ;  a  pretty  climax  of  characters,  you  will 
admit,  Miss  Mordaunt?" 

"  I  know  nothing  of  Scrub,  though  I  have  read  Mr.  Addi- 
son's  play,  and  think  you  have  no  need  of  being  ashamed 
of  the  character  of  Cato.  When  is  the  theatre  to  open  ?" 

"  We  follow  the  sable  gentry.  As  soon  as  St.  Pinkster 
has  received  his  proper  share  of  attention,  we  shall  intro 
duce  Dom-Cato  and  Mr.  Scrub  to  your  acquaintance." 

All  the  young  ladies,  but  Anneke  and  her  friend  Mary 
Wallace,  laughed,  two  or  three  repeating  the  words  '  St. 
Pinkster,'  as  if  they  contained  something  much  cleverer 
than  it  was  usual  to  hear.  A  general  burst  of  exclamations, 
expressions  of  pleasure,  and  of  questions  and  answers  fol 
lowed,  in  which  two  or  three  voices  were  heard  at  the  same 
moment,  during  which  time  Anneke  turned  to. me,  who  was 


96  SATANSTOE. 

standing  near  her,  at  the  spot  occupied  by  Bulstrode  a 
minute  before,  and  seemed  anxious  to  say  something. 

"  Do  you  seriously  think  of  the  army,  Mr.  Littlepage  t" 
she  asked,  changing  colour  at  the  freedom  of  her  own 
question. 

"  In  a  war  like  this,  no  one  can  say  when  he  may  be 
called  on  to  go  out,"  I  answered.  "  But,  only  as  a  defender 
of  the  soil,  if  at  all." 

I  thought  Anneke  Mordaunt  seemed  pleased  with  this 
answer.  After  a  short  pause,  she  resumed  the  dialogue. 

"  Of  course  you  understand  Latin,  Mr.  Littlepage,  although 
you  have  not  been  at  the  universities  ?" 

"  As  it  is  taught  in  our  own  colleges,  Miss  Mordaunt." 

"  And  that  is  sufficient  to  tell  me  what  Mr.  Bulstrode's 
quotation  means — if  it  be  proper  for  me  to  hear." 

"  He  would  hardly  presume  to  use  even  a  Latin  saying 
in  your  presence,  that  is  unfit  for  your  ear.  The  maxim 
which  Mr.  Bulstrode  attributes  to  Juvenal,  simply  means 
*  that  honesty  is  praised  and  starves.' " 

I  thought  that  something  like  displeasure  settled  on  the 
fair,  polished,  brow  of  Miss  Mordaunt,  who,  I  could  soon 
see,  possessed  much  character  and  high  principles  for  one 
of  her  tender  years.  She  said  nothing,  however,  though 
she  exchanged  a  very  meaning  glance  with  her  friend  Mary 
Wallace.  Her  lips  were  moved,  and  I  fancied  I  could  trace 
the  formation  of  the  sounds  "  honesty  is  praised  and 
starves  !" 

"  And  you  are  to  be  Cato  I  hear,  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  cried 
one  of  the  young  ladies,  who  thought  more  of  a  scarlet 
coat,  I  fancy,  than  was  for  her  own  good.  "  How  very 
charming  !  Will  you  play  the  character  in  regimentals  or 
in  mohair — in  a  modern  or  in  an  ancient  dress?" 

"  In  my  robe  de  chambre,  a  little  altered  for  the  occasion, 
unless  St<-  Pinkster  and  his  sports  should  suggest  some 
more  appropriate  costume,"  answered  the  young  man 
lightly. 

"Are  you  quite  aware  what  feast  Pinkster  is?"  asked 
Anneke,  a  little  gravely. 

Bulstrode  actually  changed  colour,  for  it  had  never 
crossed  his  mind  to  inquire  into  the  character  of  the  holi 
day  ;  and,  to  own  the  truth,  the  manner  in  which  it  is  kept 


8ATANSTOE.  97 

by  the  negroes  of  New  York,  never  would  enlighten  him 
much  on  the  subject. 

"  That  is  information  for  which  I  perceive  I  am  now 
about  to  be  indebted  to  Miss  Mordaunt." 

"Then  you  shall  not  be  disappointed,  Mr.  Bulstrode; 
Pinkster  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  the  Festival  of  Whit 
sunday,  or  the  Feast  of  Pentecost.  I  suppose  we  shall  now 
hear  no  more  of  your  saint." 

Bulstrode  took  this. little  punishment,  which  was  very 
sweetly  but  quite  steadily  uttered,  with  perfect  good-humour, 
and  with  a  manner  so  rebuked  as  to  prove  that  Anneke 
possessed  great  control  over  him.  He  bowed  in  submission, 
and  she  smiled'so  kindly,  that  I  wished  the  occasion  for  the 
little  pantomime  had  not  occurred. 

"  Our  ancestors,  Miss  Mordaunt,  never  heard  of  any 
Pinkster,  you  will  remember,  and  that  must  explain  my 
ignorance,"  he  said  meekly. 

"  But  some  of  mine  have  long  understood  it,  and  observed 
the  festival,"  answered  Anneke. 

"Ay,  on  the  side  of  Holland  —  but  when  I  presume  to 
speak  of  our  ancestors,  I  mean  those  which  I  can  claim  the 
honour  of  boasting  as  belonging  to  me  in  common  with 
yourself." 

"  Are  you  and  Mr.  Bulstrode,  then,  related  1"  I  asked,  as 
it  might  be  involuntarily  and  almost  too  abruptly. 

Anneke  replied,  however,  in  a  way  to  show  that  she 
thought  the  question  natural  for  the  circumstances,  and  not 
in  the  least  out  of  place. 

"  My  grandfather's  mother,  and  Mr.  Bulstrode's  grand 
father,  were  brother  and  sister,"  was  the  quiet  answer. 
"  This  makes  us  a  sort  of  cousins,  according  to  those  Dutch 
notions  which  he  so  much  despises,  though  I  fancy  it  would 
not  count  for  much  at  home." 

Bulstrode  protested  to  the  contrary,  stating  that  he  knew 
his  father  valued  his  relationship  to  Mr.  Mordaunt,  by  the 
earnest  manner  in  which  he  had  commanded  him  to  culti 
vate  the  acquaintance  of  the  family  the  instant  he  reached 
New  York.  I  saw  by  this,  the  footing  on  which  the  formi 
dable  Major  was  placed  in  the  family,  everybody  seeming 
to  be  related  to  Anneke  Mordaunt  but  myself.  I  took  an 
occasion  that  very  evening,  to  question  the  dear  girl  on  the 
9 


98  SATANSTOE. 

subject  of  her  Dutch  connections,  giving  her  a  clue  to  mine 
but  with  all  our  industry,  and  some  assistance  from  Herman 
Mordaunt,  who  took  an  interest  in  such  a  subject,  as  it 
might  be  ex  officio,  we  could  make  out  no  affinity  worth 
mentioning. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

«  Sir  Valentine,  I  care  not  for  her,  I." 
«I  hold  him  but  a  fool,  that  will  endanger 
His  body  for  a  girl  that  loves  him  not." 
» I  claim  her  not,  and  therefore  she  is  thine." 

Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona. 

I  SAW  Anne  Mordaunt  several  times,  either  in  the  street 
or  in  her  own  house,  between  that  evening  and  the  day  I 
was  to  dine  with  her  father.  The  morning  of  the  last 
named  day  Mr.  Bulstrode  favoured  me  with  a  call,  and  an 
nounced  that  he  was  to  be  of  the  party  in  Crown  Street, 
and  that  the  whole  company  was  to  repair  to  the  theatre,  to 
see  his  own  Cato  and  Scrub,  in  the  evening. 

"  By  giving  yourself  the  trouble  to  call  at  the  Crown  and 
Bible,  kept  hard-by  here,  in  Hanover  Square  or  Queen  Street, 
by  honest  Hugh  Gaine,  you  will  find  a  package  of  tickets 
for  yourself,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Legge,  and  your  relative  Mr. 
Dirck  Pollock,  as  I  believe  the  gentleman  is  called.  These 
Dutch  have  extraordinary  patronymics,  you  must  admit, 
Littlepage."  • 

"  It  may  appear  so  to  an  Englishman,  though  our  names 
are  quite  as  odd  to  strangers.  But  Dirck  Van  Valken- 
burgh  is  not  a  kinsman  of  mine,  though  he  is  related  to  the 
Mordaunts,  your  relatives." 

"Well,  it's  all  the  same!  I  knew  he  was  related  to 
somebody  that  I  know,  and  I  fancied  it  was  to  yourself.  I 
am  sure  I  never  see  him  but  I  wish  he  was  in  our  grenadier 
company." 

"Dirck  would  do  honour  to  any  corps,  but  you  know 


SATANSTOE.  99 

how  it  is  with  the  Dutch  families,  Mr.  Bulstrode.  They 
still  retain  much  of  their  attachment  to  Holland,  and  do  not 
as  often  take  service  in  the  army,  or  navy,  as  we  of  Eng 
lish  descent." 

"  I  should  have  thought  a  century  might  have  cooled 
them  off,  a  little,  from  their  veneration  of  the  meadows  of 
Holland.  It  is  the  opinion  at  home,  that  New  York  is  a 
particularly  well  affected  colony." 

"  So  it  is,  as  I  hear  from  all  sides.  As  respects  the 
Dutch,  among  ourselves,  I  have  heard  my  grandfather  say, 
that  the  reign  of  King  William  had  a  powerful  influence  in 
'reconciling  them  to  the  new  government,  but,  since  his  day, 
that  they  are  less  loyal  than  formerly.  The  Van  Valken- 
burghs,  notwithstanding,  pass  for  as  good  subjects  as  any 
that  the  house  of  Hanover  possesses.  On  no  account  would 
I  injure  them  in  your  opinion." 

"  Good  or  bad,  we  shall  hope  to  see  your  friend,  who  is 
a  connection  in  some  way,  as  you  believe,  of  the  Mor- 
daunts.  You  will  get  but  a  faint  idea  of  what  one  of  the 
royal  theatres  is,  Littlepage,  by  this  representation  of  ours, 
though  it  may  serve  to  kill  time.  But,  I  must  go  to  re 
hearsal  ;  we  shall  meet  at  three." 

Here  my  gay  and  gallant  major  made  his  bow,  and  took 
his  leave.  I  proceeded  on  to  the  sign  of  the  Crown  and  the 
Bible,  where  I  found  a  large  collection  of  people,  coming 
in  quest  of  tickets.  As  the  elite  of  the  town  would  not  of 
themselves  form  an  audience  sufficiently  large  to  meet  the 
towering  ambition  of  the  players,  more  than  half  the  tickets 
were  sold,  the  money  being  appropriated  to  the  sick  families 
of  soldiers — those  who  were  not  entitled  to  receive  aid  from 
government.  It  was  deemed  a  high  compliment  to  receive 
tickets  gratis,  though  all  who  did,  made  it  a  point  to  leave 
a  donation  to  the  fund,  with  Mr.  Gaine.  Receiving  my 
package,  I  quitted  the  shop,  and  it  being  the  hour  for  the 
morning  promenade,  I  went  up  Wall  Street,  to  the  Mall,  as 
Trinity  Church  Walk  was  even  then  called.  Here,  I  ex 
pected  to  meet  Dirck,  and  hoped  to  see  Anneke,  for  the 
place  was  much  frequented  by  the  young  and  gay,  both  in 
the  mornings  and  in  the  evenings.  The  bands  of  different 
regiments  were  stationed  in  the  churchyard,  and  the  com 
pany  was  often  treated  to  much  fine  martial  music.  Some 


100  SATANSTOE. 

few  of  the  more  scrupulous  objected  to  this  desecration  of 
the  churchyard,  but  the  army  had  everything  pretty  much 
in  its  own  way.  As  they  were  supposed  to  do  nothing  but 
what  was  approved  of  at  home,  the  dissenters  were  little 
heeded,  nor  do  I  think  the  army  would  have  greatly  cared, 
had  they  been  more  numerous. 

I  dare  say  there  were  fifty  young  ladies  promenading  the 
church-walk  when  I  reached  it,  and  nearly  as  many  young 
men  in  attendance  on  them ;  no  small  portion  of  the  last 
being  scarlet-coats,  though  the  mohairs  had  their  represent 
atives  there  too.  A  few  blue-jackets  were  among  us  also, 
there  being  two  or  three  king's  cruisers  in  port.  As  no  one 
presumed  to  promenade  the  Mall,  who  was  not  of  a  certain 
stamp  of  respectability,  the  company  was  all  gaily  dressed; 
and  I  will  confess  that  I  was  much  struck  with  the  air  of 
the  place,  the  first  time  I  showed  myself  among  the  gay 
idlers.  The  impression  made  on  me  that  morning  was  so 
vivid,  that  I  will  endeavour  to  describe  the  scene,  as  it  now 
presents  itself  to  my  mind. 

In  the  first  place,  there  was  the  noble  street,  quite  eighty 
feet  in  width  in  its  narrowest  part,  and  gradually  expanding 
as  you  looked  towards  the  bay,  until  it  opened  into  an  area 
of  more  than  twice  that  width,  at  the  place  called  the  Bowl- 
ing-Green.*  Then  came  the  Fort,  crowning  a  sharp  emi 
nence,  and  overlooking  everything  in  that  quarter  of  the 
town.  In  the  rear  of  the  Fort,  or  in  its  front,  taking  a  water 
view,  lay  the  batteries  that  had  been  built  on  the  rocks 
which  form  the  south-western  termination  of  the  island. 
Over  these  rocks,  which  were  black  and  picturesque,  and 
over  the  batteries  they  supported,  was  obtained  a  view  of 
the  noble  bay,  dotted  here  and  there  with  some  speck  of  a 
sail,  or  possibly  with  some  vessel  anchored  on  its  placid 
bosom.  Of  the  two  rows  of  elegant  houses,  most  of  them 
of  brick,  and  with  very  few  exceptions  principally  of  two 

*  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage  betrays  not  a  little  of  provincial  admi 
ration,  as  the  reader  will  see.  I  have  not  thought  it  necessary  to 
prune  these  passages,  their  causes  being  too  familiar  to  leave  any 
danger  of  their  insertion's  being  misunderstood.  Admiration  of 
Broadway,  certainly  not  more  than  a  third-class  street,  a-  streets 
go  in  the  old  world,  is  so  very  common  among  us  as  to  need  no 
apology. — EDITOR. 


SATANSTOE.  101 

stories  in  height,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  speak,  as  thero 
are  few  who  have  not  heard  of,  and  formed  some  notion  of 
Broadway ;  a  street  that  all  agree  is  one  day  to  be  the  pride 
of  the  western  world. 

In  the  other  direction,  I  will  admit  that  the  view  was  not 
so  remarkable,  the  houses  being  principally  of  wood,  and 
of  a  somewhat  ignoble  appearance.  Nevertheless  the  army 
was  said  to  frequent  those  habitations  quite  as  much  as  they 
did  any  other  in  the  place.  After  reaching  the  Common,  or 
present  Park,  where  the  great  Boston  road  led  off  into  the 
country,  the  view  was  just  the  reverse  of  that  which  was 
seen  in  the  opposite  quarter.  Here,  all  was  inland,  and 
rural.  It  is  true,  the  new  Bridewell  had  been  erected  in 
that  quarter,  and  there  was  also  a  new  gaol,  both  facing  the 
common ;  and  the  king's  troops  had  barracks  in  their  rear ; 
but  high,  abrupt,  conical  hills,  with  low  marshy  land,  or 
chards  and  meadows,  gave  to  all  that  portion  of  the  island 
a  peculiarly  novel  and  somewhat  picturesque  character. 
Many  of  the  hills  in  that  quarter,  and  indeed  all  over  the 
widest  part  of  the  island,  are  now  surmounted  by  country- 
houses,  as  some  were  then,  including  Petersfield,  the  ancient 
abode  of  the  Stuyvesants,  or  that  farm  which,  by  being 
called  after  the  old  Dutch  governor's  retreat,  has  given  the 
name  of  Bowery,  or  Bouerie,  to  the  road  that  led  to  it ;  as 
well  as  the  Bowery-house,  as  it  was  called,  the  country 
abode  of  the  then  Lieutenant  Governor,  James  de  Lancey , 
Mount  Bayard,  a  place  belonging  to  that  respectable  family ; 
Mount  Pitt,  another  that  was  the  property  of  Mrs.  Jones, 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Justice  Jones,  a  daughter  of  James  de  Lan 
cey,  and  various  other  mounts,  houses,  hills,  and  places, 
that  are  familiar  to  the  gentry  and  people  of  New  York. 

But,  the  reader  can  imagine  for  himself  the  effect  pro 
duced  by  such  a  street  as  Broadway,  reaching  very  nearly 
half  a  mile  in  length,  terminating  at  one  end,  in  an  ele 
vated,  commanding  Fort,  with  its  back-ground  of  batteries, 
rocks  and  bay,  and,  at  the  other,  with  the  common,  on 
which  troops  were  now  constantly  parading,  the  Bridewell 
an!  gaol,  and  the  novel  scene  I  have  just  mentioned.  Nor 
is  Trinity  itself  to  be  forgotten.  This  edifice,  one  of  the 
noblest,  if  not  the  most  noble  of  its  kind,  in  all  the  colonies, 
with  its  gothic  architecture,  statues  in  carved  stone,  and 
9* 


102  SATANSTOE. 

flanking  walls,  was  a  close  accessory  of  the  view,  giving  to 
the  whole  grandeur,  and  a  moral.* 

As  has  been  said,  I  found  the  Mall  crowded  with  young 
persons  of  fashion  and  respectability.  This  Mall  was  near 
a  hundred  yards  in  length ;  and  it  follows  that  there  must 
have  been  a  goodly  show  of  youth  and  beauty.  The  fine 
weather  had  commenced  ;  spring  had  fairly  opened ;  Pink 
ster  Blossoms  (the  wild  honeysuckle)  had  been  seen  in 
abundance  throughout  the  week ;  and  everything  and  per 
son  appeared  gay  and  happy. 

I  could  discover  that  my  person  in  this  crowd  attracted 
attention  as  a  stranger.  I  say  as  a  stranger ;  for  I  am  un 
willing  to  betray  so  much  vanity  as  to  ascribe  the  manner 
in  which  many  eyes  followed  me,  to  any  vain  notion  that  I 
was  known  or  admired.  Still,  I  will  not  so  far  disparage 
the  gifts  of  a  bountiful  Providence,  as  to  leave  the  impres 
sion  that  my  face,  person,  or  air  was  particularly  disagree 
able.  This  would  not  be  the  fact ;  and  I  have  now  reached 
a  time  of  life  when  something  like  the  truth  may  be  told, 
without  the  imputation  of  conceit.  My  mother  often  boasted 
to  her  intimates,  "  that  Corny  was  one  of  the  best-made, 
handsomest,  most  active,  and  genteelest  youths  in  the  colo 
ny."  This  I  know,  for  such  things  will  leak  out;  but 
mothers  are  known  to  have  a  remarkable  weakness  on  the 
subject  of  their  children.  As  I  was  the  sole  surviving  off 
spring  of  my  dear  mother,  who  was  one  of  the  best-hearted 
women  that  ever  breathed,  it  is  highly  probable  that  the 
notions  she  entertained  of  her  son  partook  largely  of  the 
love  she  bore  me.  It  is  true,  my  aunt  Legge,  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  has  been  heard  to  express  a  very  similar 
opinion ;  though  nothing  can  be  more  natural  than  that 
sisters  should  think  alike,  on  a  family  matter  of  this  parti 
cular  nature,  more  especially  as  my  aunt  Legge  never  had 
a  child  of  her  own  to  love  and  praise. 

Let  all  this  be  as  it  may,  well  stared  at  was  I,  as  I  min 
gled  among  the  idlers  on  Trinity  Church  Walk,  on  the 

*  The  provincial  admiration  of  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage  was  not 
quite  as  much  in  fault,  as  respects  the  church,  as  the  superciliousness 
of  our  more  modern  tastes  and  opinions  may  lead  us  to  suspect.  The 
churcli  that  was  burned  in  1776,  was  a  larger  edifice  than  that  just 
pulled  down,  and,  in  many  respects,  wa*  its  superior. — EDITOR. 


8ATANSTOE.  103 

occasion  named.  As  for  myself,  my  own  eyes  were  benl 
anxiously  on  the  face  of  every  pretty,  delicate  young  crea 
ture  that  passed,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  Anneke.  I  both 
wished  and  dreaded  to  meet  her ;  for,  to  own  the  truth,  my 
•mind  was  dwelling  on  her  beauty,  her  conversation,  her 
sentiments,  her  grace,  her  gentleness,  and  withal  her  spirit, 
a  good  deal  more  than  half  the  time.  I  had  some  qualms 
on  the  subject  of  Dirck,  I  will  confess ;  but  Dirck  was  so 
young,  that  his  feelings  could  not  be  much  interested,  after 
all ;  and  then  Anneke  was  a  second  cousin,  and  that  was 
clearly  too  near  to  marry.  My  grandfather  had  always  put 
his  foot  down  firmly  against  any  connection  between  rela 
tions  that  were  nearer  than  third  cousins ;  and  I  now  saw 
how  proper  were  his  reasons.  If  they  were  even  farther 
removed,  so  much  the  better,  he  said ;  and  so  much  the 
better  it  was. 

If  the  reader  should  ask  me  why  I  dreaded  to  meet  Anne 
Mordaunt,  under  such  circumstances,  I  might  be  at  a  loss  to 
give  him  a  very  intelligible  answer.  I  feared  even  to  see  the 
sweet  face  I  sought ;  and  oh  !  how  sofj,  serene,  and  angel- 
like  it  was,  at  that  budding  age  of  seventeen  ! — but,  though 
I  almost  feared  to  see  it,  when  at  last  T  saw  her  I  had  so 
anxiously  sought,  approaching  me,  arm  and  arm  with  Mary 
Wallace,  having  Bulstrode  next  herself,  and  Harris  next  her 
friend,  my  eyes  were  instantly  averted,  as  if  they  had  un 
expectedly  lighted  on  something  disagreeable.  I  should  have 
passed  without  even  the  compliment  of  a  bow,  had  not  my 
friends  been  more  at  their  ease,  and  more  accustomed  to  the 
free  ways  of  town  life  than  I  happened  to  be  myself. 

"  How's  this,  Cornelius,  Cceur  de  Lion!"  exclaimed  Bui- 
strode,  stopping,  thus  causing  the  whole  party  to  stop  with 
him,  or  to  appear  to  wish  to  avoid  me ;  "will  you  not  recog 
nise  us,  though  it  is  not  an  hour  since  you  and  I  parted?  I 
hope  you  found  the  tickets ;  and  when  you  have  answered 
1  yes,'  I  hope  you  will  turn  and  do  me  the  honour  to  bow 
to  these  ladies." 

I  apologized,  I  am  afraid  I  blushed  ;  for  I  detected  Anneke 
looking  at  me,  as  I  thought,  with  some  little  concern,  as  if 
she  pitied  my  awkward  country  embarrassment.  As  for 
Bulstrode,  I  did  not  understand  him  at  that  time  ;  it  exceed 
ing  my  observation  to  be  certain  whether  he  considered  me 


104  SATANSTOE. 

of  sufficient  importance  or  not,  to  feel  any  concern  on  m$ 
account,  in  his  very  obvious  suit  with  Anneke.  Nevertheless, 
as  he  treated  me  with  cordiality  and  respect,  while  he  dealt 
with  me  so  frankly,  there  was  not  room  to  take  offence. 
Of  course,  I  turned  and  walked  back  with  the  party,  after 
I  had  properly  saluted  the  ladies  and  Mr.  Harris. 

"  Cccur  de  Lion  is  a  better  name  for  a  soldier  than  for  a 
civilian  ;"  said  Anneke,  as  we  moved  forward  ;  "  and,  how 
ever  much  Mr.  Littlepage  may  deserve  the  title,  I  am  not 
certain,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  he  would  not  prefer  leaving  it  among 
you  gentlemen  who  serve  the  king." 

"  I  am  glad  of  this  occasion,  Mr.  Littlepage,  to  enlist  you 
on  my  side,  in  a  warfare  I  am  compelled  to  wage  with  Miss- 
Anne  Mordaunt,"  said  the  Major  gaily.  "  It  is  on  the  sub 
ject  of  the  great  merit  of  us  poor  fellows  who  have  crossed 
the  wide  Atlantic  in  order  to  protect  the  colonies,  New  York 
among  the  number,  and  their  people,  Miss  Mordaunt  and 
Miss  Wallace  inclusively,  from  the  grasp  of  their  wicked 
enemies,  the  French.  The  former  young  lady  has  a  way 
of  reasoning  on  the^  matter  to  which  I  cannot  assent,  and  I 
am  willing  to  choose  you  as  arbitrator  between  us." 

"  Before  Mr.  Littlepage  accept  the  office,  it  is  proper  he 
should  know  its  duties  and  responsibilities,"  said  Anneke, 
smiling.  "  In  the  first  place,  he  will  find  Mr.  Bulstrode, 
with  loud  professions  of  attachment  to  the  colonies,  much 
disposed  to  think  them  provinces  that  owe  their  very  exist 
ence  to  England ;  while  I  maintain  it  is  Englishmen,  and 
that  it  is  not  England,  that  have  done  so  much  in  America. 
As  for  New  York,  Mr.  Littlepage,  and  especially  as  for  you 
and  me,  we  can  also  say  a  word  in  favour  of  Holland.  I 
am  very  proud  of  my  Dutch  connections  and  Dutch  descent.'* 

I  was  much  gratified  with  the  "  as  for  you  and  me ;" 
though  I  believe  I  cared  less  for  Holland  than  she  did  her 
self.  I  made  an  answer  much  in  the  vein  of  the  moment ; 
but  the  conversation  soon  changed  to  the  subject  of  the 
military  theatre  that  was  about  to  open. 

"  I  shall  dread  you  as  a  critic,  cousin  Annie,"  so  Bulstrode 
often  termed  Anneke,  as  I  soon  discovered ;  "I  find  you  are 
not  too  well  disposed  to  us  of  the  cockade,  and  I  think  you 
have  a  particular  spite  to  our  regiment.  I  know  that  Billing^ 
and  Harris,  too,  hold  you  in  the  greatest  possible  dread,'* 


SATANSTOE.  105 

"  They  then  feel  apprehensive  of  a  very  ignorant  critic ; 
for  I  never  was  present  at  a  theatrical  entertainment  in  my 
life,"  Anneke  answered  with  perfect  simplicity.  "  So  far 
as  1  can  learn,  there  never  has  been  but  one  season  of  any 
regular  company,  in  this  colony ;  and  that  was  when  I  was 
a  very  little  arid  a  very  young  girl — as  I  am  now  neither 
very  large,  nor  very  old  as  a  young  woman." 

"  You  see,  Littlepage,  with  how  much  address  my  cousin 
avoids  adding,  and  *  very  uninteresting,  and  very  ugly,  and 
very  disagreeable,  and  very  much  unsought,'  and  fifty  other 
things  she  might  add  with  such  perfect  truth  and  modesty ! 
But  is  it  true,  that  the  theatre  was  open  only  one  season, 
here?" 

"  So  my  father  tells  me,  though  I  know  very  little  of  the 
facts  themselves.  To-night  will  be  my  first  appearance  in 
front  of  any  stage,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  as  I  understand  it  will  be 
your  first  appearance  on  it." 

"  In  one  sense  the  last  will  be  true,  though  not  altogether 
in  another.  As  a  school-boy,  I  have  often  played,  school 
boy  fashion ;  but  this  is  quite  a  new  thing  with  us,  to  be 
amateur  players." 

"  It  may  seem  ungrateful,  when  you  are  making  so  many 
efforts,  principally  to  amuse  us  young  ladies,  I  feel  convinced, 
to  inquire  if  it  be  quite  as  wise  as  it  is  novel.  I  must  ask 
this,  as  a  cousin,  you  know,  Henry  Bulstrode,  to  escape 
entirely  from  the  imputation  of  impertinence." 

"  Really,  Anneke  Mordaunt,  I  am  not  absolutely  certain 
that  it  is.  Our  manners  are  beginning  to  change  in  this 
respect,  however,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  various  noble 
men  have  permitted  sports  of  this  sort  at  their  seats.  The 
custom  is  French,  as  you  probably  know,  and  whatever 
is  French  has  much  vogue  with  us  during  times  of  peace. 
Sir  Harry  does  not  altogether  approve  of  it,  and  as  for  my 
lady  mother,  she  has  actually  dropped  more  than  one  dis 
couraging  hint  on  the  subject  in  her  letters." 

"The  certain  proof  that  you  are  a  most  dutiful  son. 
Perhaps  when  Sir  Harry  and  Lady  Bulstrode  learn  yom 
great  success,  however,  they  will  overlook  the  field  on  which 
your  laurels  have  been  won.  But  our  hour  has  come, 
Mary ;  we  have  barely  time  to  thank  these  gentlemen  for 
their  politeness,  and  to  return  in  season  to  dress.  I  am  l</ 


106  SATANSTOE. 

enact  a  part  myself,  at  dinner,  as  I  hope  you  will  all  re 
member." 

Saying  this,  Anneke  made  her  curtsies  in  a  way  to  pre 
clude  any  offer  of  seeing  her  home,  and  went  her  way  with 
her  silent  but  sensible-looking  and  pretty  friend.  Bulstrode 
took  my  arm  with  an  air  of  easy  superiority,  and  led  the 
way  towards  his  own  lodgings,  which  happened  to  be  in 
Duke  Street.  Harris  joined  another  party,  making  it  a 
point  to  be  always  late  at  dinner. 

"  That  is  not  only  one  of  the  handsomest,  but  she  is  one 
of  the  most  charming  girls  in  the  colonies,  Littlepage !"  my 
companion  exclaimed,  as  soon  as  we  had  departed,  speaking 
at  the  same  time  with  an  earnestness  and  feeling  I  was  far 
from  expecting.  "  Were  she  in  England,  she  would  make 
one  of  the  first  women  in  it,  by  the  aid  of  a  little  fashion 
and  training ;  and  very  little  would  do  too,  for  there  is  a 
charm  in  her  naivete  that  is  worth  the  art  of  fifty  women 
of  fashion." 

"  Fashion  is  a  thing  that  any  one  may  want  who  does 
not  happen  to  be  in  vogue,"  I  answered,  notwithstanding 
the  great  degree  of  surprise  I  felt.  "  As  for  training,  I  can 
see  nothing  but  perfection  in  Miss  Mordaunt  as  ghe  is,  and 
should  deprecate  the  lessons  that  produced  any  change." 

1  believe  it  was  now  Bulstrode's  turn  to  feel  surprise,  for 
I  was  conscious  of  his  casting  a  keen  look  into  my  face, 
though  I  did  not  like  to  return  it.  My  companion  was 
silent  for  a  minute  ;  then,  without  again  adverting  to  Anneke, 
he  began  to  converse  very  sensibly  on  the  subject  of  thea 
tres  and  plays.  I  was  both  amused  and  instructed,  for  Mr. 
Bulstrode  was  an  educated  and  a  clever  man;  and  a  strange 
feeling  came  over  the  spirit  of  ray  dream,  even  then,  as  I 
listened  to  his  conversation.  This  man,  I  thought,  admires 
Anne  Mordaunt,  and  he  will  probably  carry  her  with  him 
to  England,  and  obtain  for  her  that  fashion  and  training  of 
which  he  has  just  spoken.  Witn  his  advantages  of  birth, 
air,  fortune,  education,  and  military  rank,  he  can  scarcely 
fail  in  his  suit,  should  he  seriously  attempt  one ;  and  it  will 
be  no  more  than  prudent  to  command  my  own  feelings,  lest 
I  become  the  hopeless  victim  of  a  serious  passion.  Young 
as  I  was,  all  this  I  saw,  and  thus  I  reasoned ;  and  when  I 
parted  from  my  companion  I  fancied  myself  a  much  wiser 


SATANSTOE.  107 

man  than  when  we  had  met.  We  separated  in  Duke 
Street,  with  a  promise  on  my  part  to  call  at  the  Major's 
lodgings  half  an  hour  later,  after  dressing,  and  walk  with 
him  to  Herman  Mordaunt's  door. 

"  It  is  fortunate  that  it  is  the  fashion  of  New  York  to 
walk  to  a  dinner  party,"  said  Bulstrode,  as  he  again  took 
my  arm  on  our  way  to  Crown  Street ;  "  for  these  narrow 
streets  must  be  excessively  inconvenient  for  chariots,  though 
I  occasionally  see  one  of  them.  As  for  sedan  chairs,  I 
detest  them  as  things  unfit  for  a  man  to  ride  in." 

"  Many  of  our  leading  families  keep  carriages,  and  they 
seem  to  get  along  well  enough,"  I  answered.  "  Neverthe 
less,  it  is  quite  in  fashion  even  for  ladies  to  walk.  I  under 
stand  that  many,  perhaps  most  of  your  auditors,  will  walk 
Co  the  play-house  door  this  evening." 

"  They  tell  me  as  much,"  said  Bulstrode,  curling  his  lip, 
a  little,  in  a  way  I  did  not  exactly  like.  "  Notwithstanding, 
there  will  be  many  charming  creatures  among  them,  and  they 
shall  be  welcome.  Well,  Littlepage,  I  do  not  despair  of 
having  you  among  us ;  for,  to  be  candid,  without  wishing 

to  boast,  I  think  you  will  find  the th  as  liberal  a  set  of 

young  men  as  there  is  in  the  service.  There  is  a  wish  to 
have  the  mohairs  among  us  instead  of  shutting  ourselves  up 
altogether  in  scarlet.  Then  your  father  and  grandfather 
have  both  served,  and  that  will  be  a  famous  introduction." 

I  protested  my  unfitness  for  such  an  amusement,  never 
having  seen  such  an  exhibition  in  my  life ;  but  to  this  my 
companion  would  not  listen  ;  and  we  picked  our  way,  as  well 
as  we  could,  through  William  Street,  up  Wall,  and  then  by 
Nassau  into  Crown ;  Herman  Mordaunt  owning  a  new 
house,  that  stood  not  far  from  Broadway,  in  the  latter  street. 
This  was  rather  in  a  remote  part  of  the  town  ;  but  the  situ 
ation  had  the  advantage  of  good  air ;  and,  as  a  place 
extends,  it  is  necessary  some  persons  should  live  on  its 
skirts. 

"  I  wish  my  good  cousin  did  not  live  quite  so  much  in  the 
suburbs,"  said  Bulstrode,  as  he  knocked  in  a  very  patrician 
manner ;  "  it  is  not  altogether  convenient  to  go  quite  so 
much  out  of  one's  ordinary  haunts,  in  order  to  pay  visits. 
I  wonder  Mr.  Mordaunt  came  so  far  out  of  the  world,  to 
build." 


108  SATANSTOE. 

"  Yet  the  distances  of  London  must  be  much  greater 
though  there  you  have  coaches." 

"  True ;  but  not  a  word  more  on  this  subject :  I  would 
not  have  Anneke  fancy  I  ever  find  it  far  tcv  visit  Aer." 

We  were  the  last  but  one ;  the  tardy  Mr,  Harris  making 
it  a  point  always  to  be  the  last.  We  found  Anneke  Mor- 
daunt  supported  by  two  or  three  ladies  of  her  connection, 
and  a  party  of  quite  a  dozen  assembled.  As  most  of  those 
present  saw  each  other  every  day,  and  frequently  two  or 
three  times  a  day,  the  salutations  and  compliments  were 
soon  over,  and  Herman  Morduunt  began  to  look  about  him, 
to  see  who  was  wanting. 

r,  I  believe  everybody  is  here  but  Mr.  Harris,"  the  father 
observed  to  his  daughter,  interrupting  some  of  Mr  Bulstrode's 
conversation,  to  let  this  fact  be  known.  "  Shall  we  wait  for 
him,  my  dear;  he  is  usually  so  uncertain  and  late?" 

"  Yet  a  very  important  man,"  put  in  Bulstrode,  "  as  being 
entitled  to  lead  the  lady  of  the  house  to  the  table,  in  virtue 
of  his  birthright.  So  much  for  being  the  fourth  son  of  art 
Irish  baron  !  Do  you  know  Harris's  father  has  just  been 
ennobled?'' 

This  was  news  to  the  company;  and  it  evidently  much 
increased  the  doubts  of  the  propriety  of  sitting  down  without 
the  young  man  in  question. 

"Failing  of  this  son  of  a  new  Irish  baron,  I  suppose  you 
fancy  I  shall  be  obliged  to  give  my  hand  to  the  eldest  SOD 
of  an  English  baronet,"  said  Anneke,  smiling,  so  as  to  take 
off  the  edge  of  a  little  irony  that  I  fancy  just  glimmered 
in  her  manner. 

"  I  wish  to  Heaven  you  would,  Anne  Mordaunt,"  whis 
pered  Bulstrode,  loud  enough  for  me  to  hear  him,  "so  that 
the  heart  were  its  companion  !" 

I  thought  this  both  bold  and  decided ;  and  I  looked  anx 
iously  at  Anneke,  to  note  the  effect ;  but  she  evidently  receiv 
ed  it  as  trifling,  certainly  betraying  no  emotion  at  a  speech 
I  thought  so  pointed.  I  wished  she  had  manifested  a  little 
resentment.  Then  she  was  so  very  young  to  be  thus  im 
portuned  ! 

"  Dinner  had  better  be  served,  sir,"  she  calmly  observed 
to  her  father.  "  Mr.  Harris  is  apt  to  think  himself  ill-treated 
if  he  do  not  find  everybody  at  table.  It  would  be  a  sign  his 


SATANSTOK.  109 

watch  was  wrong,  and  that  he  had  come  half  an  hour  too 
soon." 

Herman  Mordaunt  nodded  assent,  and  left  his  daughter's 
side  to  give  the  necessary  order. 

"  I  fancy  Harris  will  regret  this,"  said  Bulstrode.  "  I 
wish  I  dared  repeat  what  he  had  the  temerity  to  say  to  me 
on  this  very  subject,  no  later  than  yesterday." 

"  Of  the  propriety  of  so  doing,  Mr.  Bulstrode  must  judge 
for  himself;  though  repetitions  of  this  nature  are  usually 
best  avoided." 

"  No,  the  fellow  deserves  it ;  so  I  will  just  tell  you  and 
Mr.  Littlepage  in  confidence.  You  must  know,  as  his  senior 
in  years,  and  his  senior  officer  in  the  bargain,  I  was  hinting 
to  Harris  the  inexpediency  of  always  being  so  late  at  dinner; 
and  here  is  my  gentleman's  answer  : — '  You  know,'  said  he, 
*  that  excepting  my  lord  Loudon,  the  Commander-in-chief, 
the  Governor,  and  a  few  public  officers,  I  shall  now  take 
precedence  of  almost  every  man  here ;  and  I  find,  if  I  go 
early  to  dinner,  I  shall  have  to  hand  in  all  the  elderly  ladies, 
and  to  take  my  place  at  their  sides ;  whereas,  if  I  go  a  little 
late,  I  can  steal  in  alongside  of  their  daughters.'  Now,  on 
the  present  occasion,  he  will  be  altogether  a  loser,  the  lady 
of  the  house  not  yet  being  quite  fifty." 

u  I  had  not  given  Mr.  Harris  credit  for  so  much  ingenuity," 
said  Anneke,  quietly.  "  But  here  he  is  to  claim  his  rights." 

"Ay,  the  fellow  has  remembered  your  age,  and  quite 
likely  your  attractions!" 

Dinner  was  announced  at  that  instant,  and  all  eyes  were 
turned  on  Harris,  in  expectation  that  he  would  advance  to 
lead  Anneke  down  stairs.  The  young  man,  even  more 
youthful  than  myself,  had  a  good  deal  of  mauvaise  honte; 
for,  though  the  son  of  an  Irish  peer,  of  two  months'  creation, 
the  family  was  not  strictly  Irish,  and  he  had  very  little  am 
bition  to  figure  in  this  manner.  From  what  I  saw  of  him 
subsequently,  I  do  believe  that  nothing  but  a  sense  of  duty 
to  his  order  made  him  respect  these  privileges  of  rank  at  all, 
and  that  he  would  really  just  as  soon  go  to  a  dinner-table 
last,  as  first.  In  the  present  case,  however,  he  was  soon 
relieved  by  Herman  Mordaunt ;  who  had  been  educated  at 
home,  and  understood  the  usages  of  the  world  very  well. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  must  ask  you  to  waive  the 
10 


HO  8ATANSTOE 

privileges  of  rank  in  favour  of  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage,  to 
day.  This  good  company  has  met  to  do  honour  especially 
to  his  courage  and  devotion  to  his  fellow-creatures,  and  he 
will  do  me  the  favour  to  hand  Miss  Mordaunt  down  stairs." 
Herman  Mordaunt  then  pointed  out  to  the  Hon.  Mr. 
Harris,  the  next  lady  of  importance,  and  to  Mr.  Bulstrode 
a  third ;  after  which  all  the  rest  took  care  of  themselves. 
As  for  myself,  I  felt  my  face  in  a  glow,  at  this  unexpected 
order,  and  scarcely  dared  to  look  at  Anneke  as  we  led  the 
way  to  the  dining-room  door.  So  much  abashed  was  I, 
that  I  scarce  touched  the  tips  of  her  slender  little  fingers, 
and  a  tremour  was  in  the  limb  that  performed  this  office,  the 
whole  time  it  was  thus  employed.  Of  course,  my  seat  was 
next  to  that  of  the  young  and  lovely  mistress  of  the  house, 
at  this  banquet. 

What  shall  I  say  of  the  dinner  ?  It  was  the  very  first 
entertainment  of  the  sort  at  which  I  had  ever  been  present ; 
though  I  had  acquired  some  of  the  notions  of  town  habits, 
on  such  occasions,  at  my  aunt  Legge's  table.  To  my  sur 
prise,  there  was  soup  ;  a  dish  that  I  never  saw  at  Satanstoe, 
except  in  the  most  familiar  way ;  while  here  it  was  taken  by 
every  one,  seemingly  as  a  matter  of  course.  Everything 
was  elegant,  and  admirably  cooked.  Abundance,  however, 
was  the  great  feature  of  the  feast ;  as  I  have  heard  it  said, 
is  apt  to  be  the  case  with  most  New  York  entertainments. 
Nevertheless,  I  have  always  understood  that,  in  the  way  of 
eating  and  drinking,  the  American  colonies  have  little  reason 
to  be  ashamed. 

"  Could  I  have  foreseen  this  dinner,  Miss  Mordaunt," 
I  said,  when  everybody  was  employed,  and  I  thought  there 
was  an  opening  to  say  something  to  my  beautiful  neighbour; 
•«  it  would  have  made  my  father  very  happy  to  have  sent  a 
sheepshead  to  town,  for  the  occasion." 

Anneke  thanked  me,  and  then  we  began  to  converse  about 
the  game.  Westchester  was,  and  is  still,  famous  for  par 
tridges,  snipe,  quails,  ducks,  and  meadow-larks;  and  I 
understood  expatiating  on  such  a  subject,  as  well  as  the  best 
of  them.  All  the  Littlepages  were  shots ;  and  I  have  known 
my  father  bag  ten  brace  of  woodcock,  among  the  wet  thickets 
of  Satanstoe,  of  a  morning;  and  this  with  merely  a  second 
class  dog,  and  only  one.  Both  Bulstrode  and  Harris  listened 


SATANSTOE.  Ill 

to  what  1  said  on  this  subject  with  great  attention,  and  it 
would  soon  have  been  the  engrossing  discourse,  had  not 
Anneke  pleasantly  said — 

"All  very  well,  gentlemen ;  but  you  will  remember  that 
neither  Miss  Wallace,  nor  I,  shoot." 

"  Except  with  the  arrows  of  Cupid,"  answered  Bulstrode, 
gaily;  "  with  these  you  do  so  much  execution  between  you," 
emphasizing  the  words,  so  as  to  make  me  look  foolish,  for  I 
sat  between  them,  "  that  you  ought  to  be  condemned  to  hear 
nothing  but  fowling  conversation  for  the  next  year." 

This  produced  a  laugh,  a  little  at  my  expense,  I  believe ; 
though  I  could  see  that  Anneke  blushed,  while  Mary  Wallace 
smiled  indifferently ;  but  as  the  healths  now  began,  there 
was  a  truce  to  trifling.  And  a  serious  thing  it  is,  to  drink 
to  everybody  by  name,  at  a  large  table  ;  serious  I  mean  to 
a  new  beginner.  Yet,  Herman  Mordaunt  went  through  it 
with  a  grace  and  dignity,  that  I  think  would  have  been  re 
marked  at  a  royal  banquet.  The  ladies  acquitted  themselves 
admirably,  omitting  no  one ;  and  even  Harris  felt  the  ne 
cessity  of  being  particular  with  this  indispensable  part  of 
good-breeding.  So  well  done  was  this  part  of  the  ceremony, 
that  I  declare,  I  believe  everybody  had  drunk  to  everybody, 
within  five  minutes  after  Herman  Mordaunt  commenced  ;  and 
it  was  very  apparent  that  there  was  more  ease  and  true 
gaiety  after  all  had  got  through,  than  there  had  previously 
been. 

But  the  happy  period  of  every  dinner-party,  is  after  the 
cloth  is  removed.  With  the  dark  polished  mahogany  for  a 
background,  the  sparkling  decanters  making  their  rounds,  the 
fruit  and  cake  baskets,  the  very  scene  seems  to  inspire 
one  with  a  wish  for  gaiety.  Herman  Mordaunt  called  for 
toasts,  as  soon  as  the  cloth  disappeared,  with  a  view  I  be 
lieve  of  putting  everybody  at  ease,  and  to  render  the  con 
versation  more  general.  He  was  desired  to  set  the  example, 
and  immediately  gave  "  Miss  Markham,"  who,  as  I  was 
told,  was  a  single  lady  of  forty,  with  whom  he  had  carried 
on  a  little  flirtation.  Anneke's  turn  came  next,  and  she 
chose  to  give  a  sentiment,  notwithstanding  all  Bulstrode's 
remonstrances,  who  insisted  on  a  gentleman.  He  did  not 
succeed,  however ;  Anneke  very  steadily  gave  "  The  Thes 
pian  corps  of  the th ;  may  it  prove  as  successful  in  the 


112  8ATANSTOE. 

arts  of  peace,  as  in  its  military  character  it  has  often  proved 
itself  to  be  in  the  art  of  war."  Much  applause  followed 
this  toast,  and  Harris  was  persuaded  by  Bulstrode  to  stand 
up,  and  say  a  few  words,  for  the  credit  of  the  regiment. 
Such  a  speech ! — It  reminded  me  of  the  horse  that  was  ad 
vertised  as  a  show,  in  London,  about  this  time,  and  which 
was  said  _'  to  have  its  tail  where  its  head  ought  to  be.'  But, 
Bulstrode  clapped  his  hands,  and  cried  '  hear,'  at  every  other 
word,  protesting  that  the  regiment  was  honoured  as  much 
in  the  thanks,  as  in  the  sentiment.  Harris  did  not  seem 
displeased  with  his  own  effort,  and,  presuming  on  his  rank, 
he  drank,  without  being  called  on,  "  to  the  fair  of  New 
York ;  eminent  alike  for  beauty  and  wit,  may  they  only 
become  as  merciful  as  they  are  victorious." 

"  Bravo  !"  again  cried  Bulstrode, — "  Harris  is  fairly  in 
spired,  and  is  growing  better  and  better.  Had  he  said  im 
minent,  instead  of  eminent,  it  would  be  more  accurate,  as 
their  frowns  are  as  threatening,  as  their  smiles  are  bewitch 
ing." 

"  Is  that  to  pass  for  your  sentiment,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  and 
are  we  to  drink  it  ?"  demanded  Herman  Mordaunt. 

"  By  no  means,  sir ;  I  have  the  honour  to  give  Lady 
Dolly  Merton." 

Who  Lady  Dolly  was,  nobody  knew,  I  believe,  though 
we  of  the  colonies  always  drank  a  titled  person,  who  was 
known  to  be  at  home,  with  a  great  deal  of  respectful  atten 
tion,  not  to  say  veneration.  Other  toasts  followed,  and 
then  the  ladies  were  asked  to  sing.  Anneke  complied, 
with  very  little  urging,  as  became  her  position,  and  never 
did  I  hear  sweeter  strains  than  those  she  poured  forth  !  The 
air  was  simple,  but  melody  itself,  and  the  sentiment  had 
iust  enough  of  the  engrossing  feeling  of  woman  in  it,  to 
render  it  interesting,  without  in  the  slightest  degree  impair 
ing  its  fitness  for  the  virgin  lips  from  which  it  issued.  Bul 
strode,  I  could  see,  was  almost  entranced ;  and  I  heard  him 
murmur  "  an  angel,  by  Heavens !"  He  sang,  himself,  a 
love  song,  full  of  delicacy  and  feeling,  and  in  a  way  to  show 
that  he  had  paid  much  attention  to  the  art  of  music.  Harris 
sang,  too,  as  did  Mary  Wallace ;  the  former,  much  as  he 
spoke  ;  the  last  plaintively,  and  decidedly  well.  Even  Her 
man  Mordaunt  gave  us  a  strain,  and  my  turn  followed. 


8ATANSTOE.  113 

Singing  was  somewhat  of  a  forte  with  me,  and  I  have  rea 
son  to  think  I  made  out  quite  as  well  as  the  best  of  them. 
I  know  that  Anneke  seemed  pleased,  and  I  saw  tears  in  her 
eyes,  as  I  concluded  a  song  that  was  intended  to  produce 
just  such  an  effect. 

At  length  the  youthful  mistress  of  the  house  arose,  re 
minding  her  father  that  he  had  at  table  the  principal  per 
former  of  the  evening,  by  way  of  a  caution,  when  three  or 
four  of  us  handed  the  ladies  to  the  drawing-room  door.  In 
stead  of  returning  to  the  table,  I  entered  the  room,  and  Bui- 
strode  did  the  same,  under  the  plea  of  its  being  necessary 
for  him  to  drink  no  more,  on  account  of  the  work  before 
him. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

«  Odd's  bodikins,  man,  much  better:  use 
Every  man  after  his  desert,  and  who  shall  'scapo 
Whipping  ?  use  them  after  your  own  honour 
And  dignity :  the  less  they  deserve,  the  more 
Merit  is  in  your  bounty." 

Hamlet. 

"  HARRIS  will  be  hors  de  combat"  Bulstrode  soon  ob- 
served,  "  unless  I  can  manage  to  get  him  from  the  table. — You 
know  he  is  to  play  Marcia  this  evening ;  and,  though  a  little 
wine  will  give  him  fire  and  spirit  for  the  part,  too  much  will 
impair  its  feminine  beauties.  Addison  never  intended  that 
*  the  virtuous  Marcia,'  in  towering  above  her  sex,  was  to  be 
picked  out  of  a  kennel,  or  from  under  a  table.  Harris  is  a 
true  Irish  peer,  when  claret  is  concerned." 

All  the  ladies  held  up  their  hands,  and  protested  against 
Mr.  Harris'  being  permitted  to  act  a  travestie  on  their  sex. 
As  yet,  no  one  had  known  how  the  characters  were  to  be 
cast,  beyond  the  fact  that  Bulstrode  himself  was  to  play 
Cato,  for  great  care  had  been  taken  to  keep  the  bills  of  the 
night  from  being  seen,  in  order  that  the  audience  might 
have  the  satisfaction  of  finding  out,  who  was  who,  for  them- 
10* 


114  SATANSTOE. 

selves.  At  the  close  of  each  piece  a  bill  was  to  be  sent 
round,  among  the  favoured  few,  telling  the  truth.  As  An- 
neke  declared  that  her  father  never  locked  in  his  guests, 
and  had  faithfully  promised  to  bring  up  everybody  for 
coffee,  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  it  was  determined  to 
let  things  take  their  own  way. 

Sure  enough,  at  the  end  of  the  time  mentioned,  Hermun 
Mordaunt  appeared,  with  all  the  men,  from  the  table.  Harris 
was  not  tipsy,  as  I  found  was  very  apt  to  be  the  case  with 
him  after  dinner,  but  neither  was  he  sober.  According  to 
Bulstrode's  notion,  he  may  have  had  just  fire  enough  to  play 
the  '  virtuous  Marcia.'  In  a  few  minutes  he  hurrried  the 
ensign  off,  declaring  that,  like  Hamlet's  ghost,  their  hour 
had  come.  At  seven,  the  whole  party  left  the  house  in  a 
body  to  walk  to  the  theatre.  Herman  Mordaunt  did  not 
keep  a  proper  town  equipage,  and,  if  he  had,  it  would  not 
have  contained  a  fourth  of  our  company.  In  this,  however, 
we  were  not  singular,  as  nine  in  ten  of  the  audience  that 
night,  I  mean  nine  in  ten  of  the  gentle  sex,  went  to  the 
theatre  on  foot. 

Instead  of  going  directly  down  Crown  Street,  into  Maiden 
Lane,  which  would  have  been  the  nearest  way  to  the  theatre, 
we  went  out  into  Broadway,  and  round  by  Wall  Street,  the 
walking  being  better,  and  the  gutters  farther  from  the  ladies; 
the  centre  of  the  street  being  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
houses,  in  the  narrower  passages  of  the  town.  We  found 
a  great  many  well-dressed  people  moving  in  the  same  direc 
tion  with  ourselves.  Herman  Mordaunt  remarked  that  he 
had  never  before  seen  so  many  hoops,  cardinals,  cocked 
hats  and  swords  in  the  streets,  at  once,  as  he  saw  that  even 
ing.  All  the  carriages  in  town  rolled  past  us  as  we  went 
down  Wall  Street,  and  by  the  time  we  reached  William 
Street,  the  pavements  resembled  a  procession,  more  than 
anything  else.  As  every  one  was  in  full  dress,  the  effect 
was  pleasing,  arid  the  evening  being  fine,  most  of  the  gen 
tlemen  carried  their  hats  in  their  hands,  in  order  not  to 
disturb  their  curls,  thus  giving  to  the  whole  the  air  of  a  sort 
of  vast  drawing-room.  I  never  saw  a  more  lovely  creature 
than  Anneke  Mordaunt  appeared,  as  she  led  our  party,  on 
this  occasion.  The  powder  had  got  a  little  out  of  her  fine 
auburn  hair,  and  on  the  part  of  the  head  that  was  not  con 


3ATANSTOE.  115 

cealed  by  a  cap,  that  shaded  half  her  beautiful  face,  it  seemed 
as  if  the  rich  covering  bestowed  by  nature  was  about  to 
break  out  of  all  restraint,  and  shade  her  bust  with  its  exu 
berance.  Her  negligee  was  a  rich  satin,  flounced  in  front, 
while  the  lace  that  dropped  from  her  elbows  seemed  as  if 
woven  by  fairies,  expressly  for  a  fairy  to  wear.  She  had 
paste  buckles  in  her  shoes,  and  I  thought  I  had  never  beheld 
such  a  foot,  as  was  occasionally  seen  peeping  from  beneath 
her  dress,  while  she  walked  daintily,  yet  with  the  grace  of 
a  queen,  at  my  side.  I  do  not  thus  describe  Anneke  with  a 
view  of  inducing  the  reader  to  fancy  her  stately  and  repul 
sive  ;  on  the  contrary,  winning  ease  and  natural  grace  were 
just  as  striking  in  her  manner,  as  were  beauty,  and  senti 
ment,  and  feeling  in  her  countenance.  More  than  once,  as 
we  walked  side  by  side,  did  I  become  painfully  conscious 
how  unworthy  I  was  to  fill  the  place  I  occupied.  I  believe 
this  humility  is  one  of  the  surest  signs  of  sincere  love. 

At  length  we  reached  the  theatre,  and  were  permitted  to 
enter.  All  the  front  seats  were  occupied  by  blacks,  princi 
pally  in  New  York  liveries  ;  that  is  to  say,  with  cuffs, 
collars  and  pocket-flaps  of  a  cloth  different  from  the  coat, 
though  a  few  were  in  lace.  These  last  belonged  to  the  top 
ping  families,  several  of  which  gave  colours  and  ornaments 
almost  as  rich  as  those  that  I  understand  are  constantly 
given  at  home.  I  well  remember  that  two  entire  boxes 
were  retained  by  servants,  in  shoulder-knots,  and  much 
richer  dresses  than  common,  one  of  whom  belonged  to  the 
Lt.  Governor,  and  the  other  to  my  Lord  Loudon,  who  was 
then  Commander-In-Chief.  As  the  company  entered,  these 
domestics  disappeared,  as  is  usual,  and  we  all  took  our  seats 
on  the  benches  thus  retained  for  us.  Bulstrode's  care  was 
apparent  in  the  manner  in  which  he  had  provided  for 
Anneke,  and  her  party,  which,  I  will  take  it  on  myself  to 
say,  was  one  of  the  most  striking,  for  youth  and  good  looks, 
that  entered  the  house  that  evening. 

Great  was  the  curiosity,  and  deep  the  feeling,  that  pre 
vailed,  among  the  younger  portion  of  the  audience  in  par 
ticular,  as  party  after  part^f  was  seated,  that  important 
evening.  The  house  was  ornamented  as  a  theatre,  and  I 
thought  it  vast  in  extent;  though  Herman  Mordaunt  assured 
me  it  was  no  great  things,  in  that  point  of  view,  as  com- 


116  SATANSTOE. 

pared  with  most  of  the  playhouses  at  home.  But  the  orna 
ments,  and  the  lights,  and  the  curtain,  the  pit,  the  boxes 
the  gallery,  were  all  so  many  objects  of  intense  interest. 
Few  of  us  said  anything ;  but  our  eyes  wandered  over  all 
with  a  species  of  delight,  that  I  am  certain  can  be  felt  in  a 
theatre  only  once.  Anneke's  sweet  face  was  a  picture  of 
youthful  expectation  ;  an  expectation,  however,  in  which 
intelligence  and  discretion  had  their  full  share.  The  orches 
tra  was  said  to  have  an  undue  portion  of  wind  instruments 
in  it ;  though  I  perceived  ladies  all  over  the  house,  includ 
ing  those  in  our  own  box,  returning  the  bows  of  many  of 
the  musicians,  who,  I  was  told,  were  amateurs  from  the 
army  and  the  drawing-rooms  of  the  town. 

At  length  the  Commander-In-Chief  and  the  Lt.  Governor 
entered  together,  occupying  the  same  box,  though  two  had 
been  provided,  their  attendants  having  recourse  to  the 
second.  The  commotion  produced  by  these  arrivals  had 
hardly  subsided,  when  the  curtain  arose,  and  a  new  world 
was  presented  to  our  view  !  Of  the  playing,  I  shall  not 
venture  to  say  much  ;  though  to  me  it  seemed  perfection 
Bulstrode  gained  great  applause  that  night;  and  I  under 
stand  that  divers  gentlemen,  who  had  either  been  educated 
at  home,  or  who  had  passed  much  time  there,  declared  that 
his  Cato  would  have  done  credit  to  either  of  the  royal 
theatres.  His  dress  appeared  to  me  to  be  everything  it 
should  be ;  though  I  cannot  describe  it.  I  remember  that 
Syphax  wore  the  uniform  of  a  colonel  of  dragoons,  and  Juba, 
that  of  a  general  officer;  and  that  there  was  a  good  deal  of 
criticism  expended,  and  some  offence  taken,  because  the 
gentlemen  who  played  these  parts  came  out  in  wool,  and 
with  their  faces  blacked.  It  was  said,  in  answer  to  these 
feelings,  that  the  characters  were  Africans ;  and  that  any 
one  might  see,  by  casting  his  eyes  at  the  gallery,  that  Afri 
cans  are  usually  black,  and  that  they  have  woolly  hair ;  a 
sort  of  proof  that,  I  imagine,  only  aggravated  the  offence.* 
Apart  from  this  little  mistake,  everything  went  off  well,  even 

*  In  England,  Othello  is  usually  played  as  a  black,  while  in  Ame. 
rica  lie  is  played  as  a  nondescript ;  or  of  no  colour  that  is  ordinarily 
seen.  It  is  not  clear  that  England  is  nearer  right  than  America, 
however ;  the  Moor  not  being  a  negro,  any  more  than  he  is  of  th« 
colour  of  a  dried  herring. — EDITOR. 


S4TANSTOE  117 

to  Mriip1^  Mercia.  I:  is  true,  that  some  evil-inclined  per- 
sow*  wnispered  tnat  the  ''virtuous  Marcia"  was  a  little  how- 
came-  you-so ;  but  liulstrode  afterwards  assured  me  that  his 
condition  helped  him  along  amazingly,  and  that  it  added  a 
liquid  lustre  to  his  eyes,  that  might  otherwise  have  been 
wanting.  The  high-heeled  shoes  appeared  to  trouble  him  ; 
but  some  persons  fancied  it  gave  him  a  pretty  tottering  in 
his  walk,  that  added  very  much  to  the  deception.  On  the 
whole,  the  piece  went  off  surprisingly,  as  I  could  see  by 
Lord  Loudon  and  the  Lt.  Governor,  botn  of  whom  seemed 
infinitely  diverted.  Herman  Mordaunt  smiled  once  or  twice, 
when  he  ought  to  have  looked  grave ;  but  this  I  ascribed  to 
a  want  of  practice,  of  late  years,  in  scenic  representations. 
He  certainly  was  a  man  of  judgment,  and  must  have  known 
the  proper  moments  to  exhibit  particular  emotions. 

During  the  interval  between  the  play  and  the  farce,  the 
actors  came  among  us,  to  receive  the  homage  they  merited, 
and  loud  were  the  plaudits  that  were  bestowed  on  them. 
Anneke's  bright  eyes  sparkled  with  pleasure  as  she  admitted, 
without  reserve,  to  Bulstrode  the  pleasure  she  had  received, 
and  confessed  she  had  formed  no  idea,  hitherto,  of  the 
beauty  and  power  of  a  theatrical  representation,  aided  as 
was  this,  by  the  auxiliaries  of  lights,  dress  and  scenery. 
It  is  true,  the  women  had  been  a  little  absurd,  and  the  "  vir 
tuous  Marcia"  particularly  so ;  but  the  fine  sentiments  of 
Addison,  which,  though  as  Herman  Mordaunt  observed,  they 
had  all  the  accuracy  and  all  the  stiffness  of  a  pedantic  age, 
were  sufficiently  beautiful  and  just,  to  cover  the  delinquen 
cies  of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Harris.  She  hoped  the  after-piece 
would  be  of  the  same  general  character,  that  they  might  all 
enjoy  it  as  much  as  they  had  the  play  itself. 

The  other  young  ladies  were  equally  decided  in  their 
praise,  though  it  struck  me  that  Annekefelt  the  most,  on 
the  occasion.  That  the  Major  had  obtained  a  great  advan 
tage  by  his  efforts,  I  could  not  but  see ;  and  the  folly  of  my 
having  any  pretensions  with  one  who  was  courted  by  such  a 
rival,  began  to  impress  itself  on  my  imagination  with  a  force 
I  found  painful.  But  the  bell  soon  summoned  away  the 
gallant  actors,  in  order  to  dress  for  the  farce. 

The  long  interval  that  occurred  between  the  two  pieces, 
gave  ample  opportunity  for  visiting  one's  acquaintances,  and 


118  SATANSTOE. 

to  compare  opinions.  I  went  to  my  aunt's  box,  and  found 
her  well  satisfied,  though  less  animated  than  the  younger 
ladies,  in  the  expression  of  her  pleasure.  My  uncle  was 
altogether  himself;  good-natured,  but  not  disposed  to  award 
any  indiscreet  amount  of  praise. 

"  Pretty  well  for  boys,  Corny,"  he  said,  "though  the 
youngster  who  acted  Marcia  had  better  been  at  school.  I 
do  not  know  his  name,  but  he  completely  took  all  the  vir 
tue  out  of  Marcia.  He  must  have  studied  her  character 
from  some  of  the  ladies  who  follow  the  camp." 

"  My  dear  uncle,  how  differently  you  think  from  all  in 
our  box !  That  gentleman  is  the  Hon.  Mr.  Harris,  who  is 

only  eighteen,  and  has  a  pair  of  colours  in  the th,  and  is 

a  son  of  Lord  Ballybannon,  or  Bally-something  else,  and  is 
said  to  have  the  softest  voice  in  the  army !" 

"  Ay,  and  the  softest  head,  too,  I  '11  answer  for  it.  I  tell 
you,  Corny,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Ballybilly,  who  is  only  eighteen, 

and  has  a  pair  of  colours  in  the th,  and  the  softest  voice 

in  the  army,  had  better  been  at  school,  instead  of  under 
mining  the  virtue  of  the  '  virtuous  Marcia,'  as  he  has  so 
obviously  done.  Bulstrode  did  well  enough  ;  capitally  well, 
for  an  amateur,  and  must  be  a  first-rate  fellow.  By  the 
way,  Jane" — that  was  my  aunt's  name — "  they  tell  me,  he 
is  likely  to  marry  that  exceedingly  pretty  daughter  of  Her 
man  Mordaunt,  and  make  her  Lady  Bulstrode,  one  of  these 
days." 

"  Why  not,  Mr.  Legge  ? — Anne  Mordaunt  is  as  sweet  a 
girl  as  there  is  in  the  colony,  and  is  very  respectably  con 
nected.  They  even  say  the  Mordaunts  are  of  a  high  family 
at  home.  Mary  Wallace  told  me  that  Herman  Mordaunt 
and  Sir  Henry  Bulstrode  are  themselves  related ;  and  you 
know,  my  dear,  how  intimate  the  Mordaunts  and  the  Wal 
laces  are  ?" 

"  Not  I ; — I  know  nothing  of  their  intimacies,  though  I 
dare  say  it  may  be  all  true.  Mordaunt's  father  was  an 
English  gentleman  of  some  family,  I  have  always  heard, 
though  he  was  as  poor  as  a  church-mouse,  when  he  mar 
ried  one  of  our  Dutch  heiresses ;  and  as  for  Herman  Mor 
daunt  himself,  he  proved  he  had  not  lost  the  instinct  by 
marrying  another,  though  she  did  not  happen  to  be  Dutch. 


SATANSTOE.  119 

Here  comes  Anneke  to  inherit  it  all,  and  I  '11  answer  for  it 
that  care  is  had  that  she  shall  marry  an  heir." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Bulstrode  is  an  heir,  and  the  eldest  son  of  a 
baronet.  I  am  always  pleased  when  one  of  our  girls  makes 
a  good  connection  at  home,  for  it  does  the  colony  credit. 
It  is  an  excellent  thing,  Corny,  to  have  our  interest  well 
sustained  at  home — especially  before  the  Privy  Council,  they 
tell  me." 

"  Well,  I  am  not,"  answered  my  uncle.  "  I  think  it  more 
to  the  credit  of  the  colony  for  its  young  women  to  take  up 
with  its  young  men,  and  its  young  men  with  its  young 
women.  I  wish  Anne  Mordaunt  had  been  substituted  for 
the  Hon.  Ballyshannon  to-night.  She  would  have  made  a 
thousand  times  better  '  virtuous  Marcia." 

"  You  surely  would  not  have  had  a  young  lady  of  re 
spectability  appear  in  public,  in  this  way,  Mr.  Legge." 

My  uncle  said  something  to  this,  for  he  seldom  let  "Jane" 
get  the  better  of  it  for  want  of  an  answer ;  but  as  I  left 
the  box,  I  did  not  hear  his  reply.  It  seemed  then  to  be 
settled,  in  the  minds  of  most  persons,  that  Bulstrode  was  to 
marry  Anneke !  I  cannot  describe  the  new  shock  this 
opinion  gave  me;  but  it  seemed  to  make  me  more  fully 
sensible  of  the  depth  of  the  impression  that  had  been  made 
on  myself,  in  the  intercourse  of  a  single  week.  The  effect 
was  such  that  I  did  not  return  to  the  party  I  had  left,  but 
sought  a  seat  in  a  distant  part  of  the  theatre,  though  one  in 
which  I  could  distinctly  see  those  I  had  abandoned. 

The  Beaux  Stratagem  soon  commenced,  and  Bulstrode 
was  again  seen  in  the  character  of  Scrub.  Those  who 
were  most  familiar  with  the  stage,  pronounced  his  playing 
to  be  excellent — far  better  in  the  footman  than  in  the  Roman 
Senator.  The  play  itself  struck  me  as  being  as  broad  and 
coarse  as  could  be  tolerated ;  but  as  it  had  a  reputation  at 
home,  where  it  had  a  great  name,  our  matrons  did  net  dare 
to  object  to  it.  I  was  glad  to  see  the  smiles  soon  disappear 
from  Anneke's  face,  however,  and  to  discover  that  she  found 
no  pleasure  in  scenes  so  unsuited  to  her  sex  and  years. 
The  short,  quick  glances  that  were  exchanged  between  An 
neke  and  Mary  Wallace,  did  not  escape  me,  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  both  rose,  as  soon  as  the  curtain  dropped, 
told  quite  plainly  the  haste  they  were  in  to  quit  the  theatre. 


120  8ATANSTOB. 

I  reached  their  box-door  in  time  to  assist  them  through  the 
crowd. 

Not  a  word  was  said  by  any  of  us,  until  we  reached  the 
street,  where  two  or  three  of  Miss  Mordaunt's  female  friends 
became  loud  in  the  expression  of  their  satisfaction.  Neither 
Anneke  nor  Mary  Wallace  said  anything,  and  so  well  did 
I  understand  the  nature  of  their  feelings,  that  I  made  no 
allusion  whatever  to  the  farce.  As  for  the  others,  they  did 
but  chime  in  with  what  appeared  to  be  the  common  opinion, 
and  were  to  be  pitied  rather  than  condemned.  It  was  per 
haps  the  more  excusable  in  them  to  imagine  such  a  play 
right,  inasmuch  as  they  must  have  known  it  was  much  ex 
tolled  at  home,  a  fact  that  gave  any  custom  a  certain  privi 
lege  in  the  colonies.  A  mother  country  has  much  of  the 
same  responsibility  as  a  natural  mother,  herself,  since  its 
opinions  and  example  are  apt  to  be  quoted  in  the  one  case 
by  the  dependant,  in  justification  of  its  own  opinions  and 
conduct,  as  it  is  by  the  natural  offspring  in  the  other. 

I  fancy,  notwithstanding,  this  sort  of  responsibility  gives 
the  ministers  or  people  of  England  very  little  trouble,  since 
I  never  could  discover  any  sensitiveness  to  their  duties  on 
this  score.  We  all  went  in  at  Herman  Mordaunt's,  after 
walking  to  the  house  as  we  had  walked  from  it,  and  were 
made  to  take  a  light  supper,  including  some  delicious  choco 
late.  Just  as  we  sat  down  to  table,  Bulslrode  joined  us,  to 
receive  the  praises  he  had  earned,  and  to  enjoy  his  triumph. 
He  got  a  seat  directly  opposite  to  mine,  on  Anneke's  left 
hand,  and  soon  began  to  converse. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  he  cried,  "  you  must  all  admit  that 
Tom  Harris  did  wonders  to-night  as  Miss  Marcia  Cato.  I 
had  my  own  trouble  with  the  rogue,  for  there  is  no  prece 
dent  for  a  tipsy  Marcia ;  but  we  managed  to  keep  him 
straight,  and  that  was  the  nicest  part  of  my  management, 
let  me  assure  you." 

"  Yes,"  observed  Herman  Mordaunt,  drily ;  "  I  should 
think  keeping  Tom  Harris  straight,  after  dinner,  an  exploit 
of  no  little  difficulty,  but  a  task  that  would  demand  a  very 
judicious  management,  indeed." 

"  You  were  pleased  to  express  your  satisfaction  with  the 
performance  of  Cato.  Miss  Mordaunt,"  said  Bulstrode,  in  a 


SATANSTOE.  121 

very  deferential  and  solicitous  manner ;  "  but  I  question  if 
the  entertainment  gave  you  as  much  pleasure  ?" 

"  It  certainly  did  n.ot.  Had  the  representation  ended  with 
the  first  piece,  I  am  afraid  I  should  too  much  regret  that  we 
are  without  a  regular  stage ;  but  the  farce  will  take  off  much 
of  the  keenness  of  such  regrets." 

"  I  fear  I  understand  you,  cousin  Anne,  and  greatly 
regret  that  we  did  not  make  another  choice,"  returned  Bul 
strode,  with  a  humility  that  was  not  usual  in  his  manner, 
even  when  addressing  Anneke  Mordaunt ;  "  but  I  can  assure 
you  the  play  has  great  vogue  at  home ;  and  the  character  of 
Scrub,  in  particular,  has  usually  been  a  prodigious  favourite. 
I  see  by  your  look,  however,  that  enough  has  been  said ; 
but  after  having  done  so  much  to  amuse  this  good  company, 
to-night,  I  shall  feel  authorised  to  call  on  every  lady  present, 
at  least  for  a  song.,  as  soon  as  the  proper  moment  arrives. 
Perhaps  I  have  a  right  to  add,  a  sentiment,  and  a  toast." 

And  songs,  and  toasts,  and  sentiments,  we  had,  as  usual, 
the  moment  we  had  done  eating.  It  was,  and  indeed  is, 
rather  more  usual  to  indulge  in  this  innocent  gaiety  after 
supper,  than  after  dinner,  with  us ;  and  that  night  everybody 
entered  into  the  feeling  of  the  moment  with  spirit.  Herman 
Mordaunt  gave  "  Miss  Markham,"  as  he  had  done  at  dinner, 
and  this  with  an  air  so  determined,  as  to  prove  no  one  else 
would  ever  be  got  out  of  him. 

"  There  is  a  compact  between  Miss  Markham  and  myself, 
to  toast  each  other  for  the  remainder  of  our  lives,"  cried  the 
master  of  the  house,  laughing ;  **  and  we  are  each  too  honest 
ever  to  violate  it." 

"  But  Miss  Mordaunt  is  under  no  such  engagement,"  put 
in  a  certain  Mr.  Benson,  who  had  manifested'  much  interest 
in  the  beautiful  young  mistress  of  the  house  throughout  the 
day ;  "  and  I  trust  we  shall  not  be  put  off  by  any  such  ex 
cuse  from  her." 

"  It  is  not  in  rule  to  ask  two  of  the  same  race  for  toasts 
in  succession,  answered  Herman  Mordaunt.  "  There  is  Mr. 
Bulstrode  dying  to  give  us  another  English  belle." 

"  With  all  my  heart,5*  said  Bulstrode,  gaily.  "  This  time 
it  shall  be  Lady  Betty  Boddington." 

"  Married  or  single,  Bulstrode?"  inquired  Billings,  as  I 
thought  with  some  little  point. 
II 


122  8ATANSTOE. 

"  No  matter  which,  so  long  as  she  be  a  beauty  and  a 
toast.  I  believe  it  is  now  my  privilege  to  call  on  a  lady  y 
and  I  beg  a  gentleman  from  Miss  Wallace." 

There  had  been  an  expression  of  pained  surprise,  at  the 
trifling  between  Billings  and  Bulstrode,  in  Anneke's  sweet 
countenance;  for,  in  the  simplicity  of  our  provincial  habits, 
we  of  the  colonies  did  not  think  it  exactly  in  rule  for  the 
single  to  toast  the  married,  or  vice  versa;  but  the  instant 
her  friend  was  thus  called  on,  it  changed  for  a  look  of  gen 
tle  concern.  Mary  Wallace  manifested  no  concern,  how 
ever,  but  gave  "  Mr.  Francis  Ford  ham." 

"  Ay,  Frank  Fordham,  with  all  my  heart,"  cried  Herman 
Mordaunt.  "  I  hope  he  will  return  to  his  native  country  as 
straight-forward,  honest,  aud  good  as  he  left  it." 

"  Mr.  Fordham  is  then  abroad  ?"  inquired  Bulstrode.  "  I 
thought  the  name  new  to  me." 

"  If  being  at  home  can  be  called  being  abroad.  He  is 
reading  law  at  the  Temple." 

This  was  the  answer  of  Mary  Wallace,  who  looked  as  if 
she  felt  a  friendly  interest  in  the  young  Templar,  but  no 
more.  She  now  called  on  Dirck  for  his  lady.  Throughout 
the  whole  of  that  day,  Dirck's  voice  had  hardly  been  heard  ; 
a  reserve  that  comported  well  enough  with  his  youth  and 
established  diffidence.  This  appeal,  however,  seemed  sud 
denly  to  arouse  all  that  there  was  of  manhood  in  him ;  and 
that  was  not  a  little,  I  can  tell  the  reader,  when  there  was 
occasion  to  use  it.  Dirck's  nature  was  honesty  itself;  and 
he  felt  that  the  appeal  was  too  direct,  and  the  occasion  too 
serious,  to  admit  of  duplicity.  He  loved  but  one,  esteemed 
but  one,  felt  for  one  only  ;  and  it  was  not  in  his  nature  to 
cover  his  preference  by  any  attempt  at  deception.  After 
colouring  to  the  ears,  appearing  distressed,  he  made  an  effort, 
and  pronounced  the  name  of — "Anneke  Mordaunt." 

A  common  laugh  rewarded  this  blunder;  common  with 
all  but  the  fair  creature  who  had  extorted  this  involuntary 
tribute,  and  myself,  who  knew  Dirck's  character  too  well 
not  to  understand  how  very  much  he  must  be  in  earnest 
thus  to  lay  bare  the  most  cherished  secret  of  his  heart. 
The  mirth  continued  some  time,  Herman  Mordaunt  appear 
ing  to  be  particularly  pleased,  and  applauding  his  kinsman's 
directness  with  several  '  bravos'  very  distinctly  uttered.  A* 


SATANSTOE.  123 

for  Anneke,  I  saw  she  looked  touched,  while  she  looked 
concerned,  and  as  if  she  would  be  glad  to  have  the  thing 
undone. 

"  After  all,  Dirck,  much  as  I  admire  your  spirit  and 
plain  dealing,  boy,"  cried  Herman  Mordaunt,  "  Miss  Wal 
lace  can  never  let  such  a  toast  pass.  She  will  insist  on 
having  another." 

"  I ! — I  protest  I  am  well  pleased  with  it,  and  ask  for  no 
other,"  exclaimed  the  lady  in  question.  "  No  toast  can  be 
more  agreeable  to  me  than  Anneke  Mordaunt,  and  I  par 
ticularly  like  the  quarter  from  which  this  comes." 

11  If  friends  can  be  trusted  in  a  matter  of  this  nature," 
put  in  Bulstrode,  with  a  little  pique,  "  Mr.  Pollock  has  every 
reason  to  be  contented.  Had  I  known,  however,  that  the 
customs  of  New  York  allowed  a  lady  who  is  present  to  be 
toasted,  that  gentleman  would  not  have  had  the  merit  of 
being  the  first  to  make  this  discovery." 

"  Nor  is  it,"  said  Herman  Mordaunt ;  "and  Dirck  must 
hunt  up  another  to  supply  my  daughter's  place." 

But  no  other  was  forthcoming  from  the  stores  of  Dirck 
Pollock's  mind.  Had  he  a  dozen  names  in  reserve,  not  one 
of  them  would  he  have  produced  under  circumstances  that 
might  seem  like  denying  his  allegiance  to  the  girl  already 
given  ;  but  he  could  not  name  any  other  female.  So,  after 
some  trifling,  the  company  attributing  Dirck's  hesitation  to 
his  youth  and  ignorance  of  the  world,  abandoned  the  at 
tempt,  desiring  him  to  call  on  Anneke  herself  for  a  toast  in 
turn. 

"  Cousin  Dirck  Van  Valkenburgh,"  said  Anneke,  with 
the  greater  self-possession  and  ease  of  her  sex,  though 
actually  my  friend's  junior  by  more  than  two  years ;  laying 
some  emphasis,  at  the  same  time,  on  the  word  cousin. 

"  There !"  exclaimed  Dirck,  looking  exultingly  at  Bui- 
strode  ;  "  you  see,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  that  it  is  permitted 
to  toast  a  person  present,  if  you  happen  to  respect  and 
esteem  that  person  !" 

"  By  which,  sir,  we  are  to  understand  how  much  Miss 
Mordaunt  respects  and  esteems  Mr.  Dirck  Van  Valkenburgh," 
answered  Bulstrode  gravely.  "  I  am  afraid  there  is  only 
too  much  justice  in  an  opinion  that  might,  at  the  first  blush, 
seem  to  savour  of  self-love." 


124  SATANSTOE. 

"  An  imputation  I  am  far  from  denying,"  returned 
Anneke,  with  a  steadiness  that  showed  wonderful  self-com 
mand,  did  she  really  return  any  of  Dirck's  attachment. 
"  My  kinsman  gives  me  as  his  toast,  and  I  give  him  as  mine. 
Is  there  anything  unnatural  in  that  ?" 

Here  there  was  an  outbreak  of  raillery  at  Anneke's  ex 
pense,  which  the  young  lady  bore  with  a  calmness  and 
composure  that  at  first  astonished  me.  But  when  I  came  to 
reflect  that  she  had  been  virtually  at  the  head  of  her  father's 
house  for  several  years,  and  that  she  had  always  associated 
with  persons  older  than  herself,  it  appeared  more  natural ; 
for  it  is  certain  we  can  either  advance  or  retard  the  charac 
ter  by  throwing  a  person  into  intimate  association  with  those 
who,  by  their  own  conversation,  manners,  or  acquirements, 
are  most  adapted  for  doing  either.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
interruption  was  forgotten  by  those  who  had  no  interest  in 
the  subject,  and  the  singing  commenced.  I  had  obtained  so 
much  credit  by  my  attempt  at  dinner,  that  I  had  the  ex 
treme  gratification  of  being  asked  to  sing  another  song  by 
Anneke  herself.  Of  course  I  complied,  and  I  thought  the 
company  seemed  pleased.  As  for  my  young  hostess,  I 
knew  she  looked  more  gratified  with  my  song  than  with  the 
afterpiece,  and  that  I  felt  to  be  something.  Dirck  had  an 
occasion  to  renew  a  little  of  the  ground  lost  by  the  toast, 
for  he  sang  a  capital  comic  song  in  Low  Dutch.  It  is  true, 
not  half  the  party  understood  him,  but  the  other  half  laughed 
until  the  tears  rolled  down  their  cheeks,  and  there  was 
something  so  droll  in  my  friend's  manner,  that  everybody 
was  delighted.  The  clocks  struck  twelve  before  we 
broke  up. 

I  staid  in  town  but  a  day  or  two  longer,  meeting  my  new 
acquaintances  every  day,  and  sometimes  twice  a-day,  how 
ever,  on  Trinity  Church  Walk.  I  paid  visits  of  leave-taking 
with  a  heavy  heart,  and  most  of  all  to  Anneke  and  her 
father. 

"  I  understood  from  Pollock,  "  said  Herman  Mordaunt, 
when  I  explained  the  object  of  my  call,  "  that  you  are  to 
leave  town  to-morrow.  Miss  Mordaunt  and  her  friend,  Miss 
Wallace,  go  to  Lilacsbush  this  afternoon  ;  for  it  is  high  time 
to  look  after  the  garden  and  the  flowers,  many  of  which  are 
now  in  full  bloom.  I  shall  join  them  in  the  evening ;  and  I 


SATAN8TOE.  125 

propose  that  you  young  men,  take  a  late  breakfast  with  us, 
on  your  way  to  Westchester.  A  cup  of  coffee  before  you 
start,  and  getting  into  your  saddle  at  six,  will  bring  all 
right.  I  promise  you  that  you  shall  be  on  the  road  again 
by  one,  which  will  give  you  plenty  of  time  to  reach  Satans- 
toe  before  dark." 

I  looked  at  Anneke,  and  fancied  that  the  expression  of 
her  countenance  was  favourable.  Dirck  left  everything  to 
me,  and  I  accepted  the  invitation.  This  arrangement 
shortened  my  visit  in  Crown  Street,  and  I  left  the  house 
with  a  lighter  heart  than  that  with  which  I  had  entered  it. 
It  is  always  so  agreeable  to  get  an  unpleasant  duty  deferred ! 

Next  day  Dirck  and  I  were  in  the  saddle  at  six  precisely, 
and  we  rode  through  the  streets  just  as  the  blacks  were 
washing  down  their  stoops  and  side-walks ;  though  there 
were  but  very  few  of  the  last,  in  my  youth.  This  is  a 
commodious  improvement,  and  one  that  it  is  not  easy  to  see 
how  the  ladies  could  dispense  with,  and  which  is  now  getting 
to  be  pretty  common  ;  all  the  new  streets,  I  see,  being  pro 
vided  with  the  convenience. 

It  was  a  fine  May  morning,  and  the  air  was  full  of  the 
sweet  fragrance  of  the  lilac,  in  particular,  as  we  rode  into 
the  country.  Just  as  we  got  into  the  Bowery  Lane,  a  horse 
man  was  seen  walking  out  of  one  of  the  by-streets,  and 
coming  our  way.  He  no  sooner  caught  sight  of  two  travel 
lers  going  in  his  own  direction,  than  he  spurred  forward  to 
join  us ;  being  alone,  and  probably  wishing  company.  As 
it  would  have  been  churlish  to  refuse  to  travel  in  company 
with  one  thus  situated,  we  pulled  up,  walking  our  horses 
until  the  stranger  joined  us ;  when,  to  our  surprise,  it  turned 
out  to  be  Jason  Newcome.  The  pedagogue  was  as  much 
astonished  when  he  recognised  us,  as  we  were  in  recognising 
him ;  and  I  believe  he  was  a  little  disappointed ;  for  Jason 
was  so  fond  of  making  acquaintances,  that  it  was  always  a 
pleasure  to  him  to  be  thus  employed.  It  appeared  that  he 
had  been  down  on  the  island  to  visit  a  relative,  who  had 
married  and  settled  in  that  quarter ;  and  this  was  the  reason 
we  had  not  met  since  the  morning  of  the  affair  of  the  lion. 
Of  course  we  trotted  on  together,  neither  glad  nor  sorry  at 
having  this  particular  companion. 

I  never  could  explain  the  process  by  means  of  which 


136  SATANSTOE. 

Jason  wound  his  way  into  everybody's  secrets.  It  is  truq. 
he  had  no  scruples  about  asking  questions ;  putting  those 
which  most  persons  would  think  forbidden  by  the  usages  of 
society,  with  as  little  hesitation  as  those  which  are  univer 
sally  permitted.  The  people  of  New  England  have  a  repu 
tation  this  way ;  and  I  remember  to  have  heard  Mr.  Worden 
account  for  the  practice  in  the  following  way :  Everything 
and  everybody  was  brought  under  rigid  church  government 
among  the  Puritans ;  and,  when  a  whole  community  gets 
the  notion  that  it  is  to  sit  in  judgment  on  every  act  of 
one  of  its  members,  it  is  quite  natural  that  it  should  extend 
that  right  to  an  inquiry  into  all  his  affairs.  One  thing  is 
certain ;  our  neighbours  of  Connecticut  do  assume  a  control 
over  the  acts  and  opinions  of  individuals  that  is  not  dreamed 
of  in  New  York  ;  and  I  think  it  very  likely  that  the  practice 
of  pushing  inquiry  into  private  things,  has  grown  up  under 
this  custom. 

As  one  might  suppose,  Jason,  whenever  baffled  in  an  at 
tempt  to  obtain  knowledge  by  means  of  inquiries,  more  or  less 
direct,  sought  to  advance  his  ends  through  conjectures ;  tak 
ing  those  that  were  the  most  plausible,  if  any  such  could  be 
found,  but  putting  up  with  those  that  had  not  even  this  ques 
tionable  recommendation,  if  nothing  better  offered.  He 
was,  consequently,  for  ever  falling  into  the  grossest  errors, 
for,  necessarily  making  his  conclusions  on  premises  drawn 
from  his  own  ignorance  and  inexperience,  he  was  liable  to 
fall  into  serious  mistakes  at  the  very  outset.  Nor  was  this 
the  worst;  the  tendency  of  human  nature  not  being  very 
directly  to  charity,  the  harshest  constructions  were  sometimes 
blended  with  the  most  absurd  blunders,  in  his  mind,  and  I 
have  known  him  to  be  often  guilty  of  assertions,  that  had 
no  better  foundation  than  these  conjectures,  which  might 
have  subjected  him  to  severe  legal  penalties. 

On  the  present  occasion,  Jason  was  not  long  in  ascer 
taining  where  we  were  bound.  This  was  done  in  a  man 
ner  so  characteristic  and  ingenious,  that  I  will  attempt  to 
relate  it. 

"  Why,  you're  out  early,  this  morning,  gentlemen  !"  ex 
claimed  Jason,  affecting  surprise.  "  What  in  natur'  has 
started  you  off  before  breakfast  ?" 


SATANSTOE.  127 

**  So  as  to  be  certain  not  to  lose  our  suppers  at  Satanstoe. 
this  evening,"  I  answered. 

"Suppers?  why,  you  will  almost  reach  home  (Jason 
would  call  this  word  hum)  by  dinner-time ;  that  is,  your 
York  dinner-time.  Perhaps  you  mean  to  call  by  the  way?  * 

"  Perhaps  we  do,  Mr.  Newcome ;  there  are  many  pleasant 
families  between  this  and  Satanstoe." 

"  I  know  there  be.  There  's  the  great  Mr.  Van  Cort- 
landt's  at  Yonker's ;  perhaps  you  mean  to  stop  there  ?" 

"No,  sir;  we  have  no  such  intention." 

"Then  there's  the  rich  Count  Philips's,  on  the  river; 
that  would  be  no  great  matter  out  of  the  way?" 

"It's  farther  than  we  intend  to  turn." 

"  Oh  !  so  you  do  intend  to  turn  a  bit  aside !  Well,  there 's 
that  Mr.  Mordaunt,  whose  daughter  you  pulled  out  of  the 
lion's  paws ; — he  has  a  house  near  King's-Bridge,  called 
Lilacsbush." 

"  And  how  did  you  ascertain  that,  Jason  ?" 

"By  asking.  Do  you  think  I  would  let  such  a  thing 
happen,  and  not  inquire  a  little  about  the  young  lady  ?  No 
thing  is  ever  lost  by  putting  a  few  questions,  and  inquiring 
round ;  and  I  did  not  forget  the  rule  in  her  case." 

"  And  you  ascertained  that  the  young  lady's  father  has  a 
place  called  Lilacsbush,  in  this  neighbourhood '?" 

"  I  did ;  and  a  queer  York  fashion  it  is  to  give  a  house  a 
name,  just  as  you  would  a  Christian  being;  that  must  be  a 
Roman  Catholic  custom,  and  some  way  connected  with  ido 
latry." 

"  Out  of  all  doubt.  It  is  far  better  to  say,  for  instance, 
that  we  are  going  to  breakfast  at  Mr.  Mordaunt's-es-es,  than 
to  say  we  intend  to  stop  at  Lilacsbush." 

"  Oh!  you  be,  be  you  ?  Well,  I  thought  it  would  turn  out 
that  some  such  place  must  have  started  you  off  so  early.  It 
will  be  a  desperate  late  breakfast,  Corny!" 

"  It  will  be  at  ten  o'oclock,  Jason,  and  that  is  rather  later 
than  common  ;  but  our  appetites  will  be  so  much  the  better." 

To  this  Jason  assented,  and  then  commenced  a  series  of 
manoeuvres  to  be  included  in  the  party.  This  we  did  not 
dare  to  do,  however,  and  all  Jason's  hints  were  disregarded, 
until,  growing  desperate  by  our  evasions,  he  plumply  pro 
posed  to  go  along,  and  we  as  plumply  told  him  we  would 


128  SATANSTOE. 

take  no  such  liberty  with  a  man  of  Herman  Mordaunt'a 
years,  position  and  character.  I  do  not  know  that  we 
should  have  hesitated  so  much  had  we  considered  Jason  a 
gentleman,  but  this  was  impossible.  The  custom  of  the 
colony  admitted  of  great  freedom  in  this  respect7  being  very 
different  from  what  it  is  at  home,  by  all  accounts,  in  these 
particulars  ;  but  there  was  always  an  understanding  that  the 
persons  one  brought  with  him  should  be  of  a  certain  stamp 
and  class  in  life ;  recommendations  to  which  Jason  Newcome 
certainly  had  no  claim. 

The  case  was  getting  to  be  a  little  embarrassing,  when 
the  appearance  of  Herman  Mordaunt  himself,  fortunately 
removed  the  difficulty.  Jason  was  not  a  man  to  be  thrown 
off  very  easily ;  but  here  was  one  who  had  the  power,  and 
who  showed  the  disposition  to-  set  things  right.  Herman 
Mordaunt  had  ridden  down  the  road  a  mile  or  two  to  meet 
us,  intending  to  lead  us  by  a  private  and  shorter  way  to  his 
residence,  than  that  which  was  already  known  to  us.  He 
no  sooner  saw  that  Jason  was  of  our  company,  than  he 
asked  that  as  a  favour,  which  our  companion  would  very 
gladly  have  accepted  as  a  boon* 


CHAPTER  IX. 

«I  questioned  Love,  whose  early  ray 
So  heavenly  bright  appears ; 
And  love,  in  answer,  seem'd  to  say, 
His  light  was  dimm'd  by  tears." 

HEBEK. 

IT  was  not  long  after  the  explanation  occurred,  as  respects 
Jason,  and  the  invitation  was  given  to  include  him  in  out 
party,  before  Herman  Mordaunt  opened  a  gate,  and  led  the 
way  into  the  fields.  A  very  tolerable  road  conducted  us 
through  some  woods^to  the  heights,  and  we  soon  found  our 
selves  on  an  eminence,  that  overlooked  a  long  reach  of  the 
Hudson,  extending  from  Haverstraw,  to  the  north,  as  far  as 


SATANSTOE.  129 

Staten  Island,  to  the  south ;  a  distance  of  near  forty  miles. 
On  the  opposite  shore,  rose  the  wall-like  barrier  of  the  Pali- 
sadoes,  lifting  the  table-land,  on  their  summits,  to  an  eleva 
tion  of  several  hundred  feet.  The  noble  river,  itself,  fully 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  width,  was  unruffled  by  a  breath 
of  air,  lying  in  one  single,  extended,  placid  sheet,  under  the 
rays  of  a  bright  sun,  resembling  molten  silver.  I  scarce 
remember  a  lovelier  morning  ;  everything  appearing  to  har 
monize  with  the  glorious  but  tranquil  grandeur  of  the  view, 
and  the  rich  promises  of  a  bountiful  nature.  The  trees  were 
mostly  covered  with  the  beautiful  clothing  of  a  young  ver 
dure;  the  birds  had  mated,  and  were  building  in  nearly 
every  tree  ;  the  wild-flowers  started  up  beneath  the  hoofs  of 
our  horses;  and  every  object,  far  and  near,  seemed,  to  my 
young  eyes,  to  be  attuned  to  harmony  and  love. 

"  This  is  a  favourite  ride  of  mine,  in  which  Anneke  often 
accompanies  me,"  said  Herman  Mordaunt,  as  we  gained 
the  commanding  eminence  I  have  mentioned.  "  My  daugh 
ter  is  a  spirited  horse-woman,  and  is  often  my  companion  in 
these  morning  rides.  She  and  Mary  Wallace  should  be 
somewhere  on  the  hills,  at  this  moment,  for  they  promised 
to  follow  me,  as  soon  as  they  could  dress  for  the  saddle." 

A  cry  of  something  like  wild  delight  burst  out  of  Dirck, 
and  the  next  moment  he  was  galloping  away  for  an  adjoin 
ing  ridge,  on  the  top  of  which  the  beautiful  forms  of  the  two 
girls  were  just  then  visible;  embellished  by  neatly-fitting 
habits,  and  beavers  with  drooping  feathers.  I  pointed  out 
these  charming  objects  to  Herman  Mordaunt,  and  followed 
my  friend,  at  half-speed.  In  a  minute  or  two  the  parties 
had  joined. 

Never  had  I  seen  Anneke  Mordaunt  so  perfectly  lovely, 
as  she  appeared  that  morning.  The  exercise  and  air  had 
deepened  a  bloom  that  was  always  rich ;  and  her  eyes  re 
ceived  new  lustre  from  tho  glow  on  her  cheeks.  Though 
expected,  I  thought  she  received  us  as  particularly  acceptable 
guests ;  while  Mary  Wallace  manifested  more  than  an  usual 
degree  of  animation,  in  her  reception.  Jason  was  not  for 
gotten,  but  was  acknowledged  as  an  old  acquaintance,  and 
was  properly  introduced  to  the  friend. 

"  You  frequently  take  these  rides,  Mr.  Mordaunt  tells  me," 
I. said,  reining  my  horse  to  the  side  of  that  of  Anneke's,  as 


130  SATANSTOE. 

the  whole  party  moved  on  ;  "  and  I  regret  that  Satanstoe  ifl 
so  distant,  as  to  prevent  our  oftener  meeting  of  a  morning. 
We  have  many  noted  horse-women,  in  Westchester,  who 
would  be  proud  of  such  an  acquisition." 

"  I  know  several  ladies,  on  your  side  of  Harlem  river," 
Anneke  answered,  "  and  frequently  ride  in  their  company ; 
but  none  so  distant  as  any  in  your  immediate  neighbourhood. 
My  father  tells  me,  he  used  often  to  shoot  over  the  fields  of 
Satanstoe,  when  a  youth ;  and  still  speaks  of  your  birds 
with  great  affection." 

'*  I  believe  our  fathers  were  once  brother-sportsmen.  Mr. 
Bulstrode  has  promised  to  come  and  imitate  their  good  ex 
ample.  Now  you  have  had  time  to  reflect  on  the  plays  you 
have  seen,  do  you  still  feel  the  same  interest  in  such  repre 
sentations  as  at  first?" 

"  I  only  wish  there  was  not  so  much  to  condemn.  I 
think  Mr.  Bulstrode  might  have  reached  eminence  as  a 
player,  had  not  fortune  put  it,  in  one  sense,  beyond  his 
reach,  as  an  elder  son,  and  a  man  of  family." 

"  Mr.  Bulstrode,  they  tell  me,  is  not  only  the  heir  of  an 
old  baronetcy,  but  of  a  large  fortune?" 

"  Such  are  the  facts,  I  believe.  Do  you  not  think  it  cre 
ditable  to  him,  Mr.  Littlepage,  that  one  so  situated,  should 
come  so  far  to  serve  his  king  and  country,  in  a  rude  war 
like  this  of  our  colonies?" 

I  was  obliged  to  assent,  though  I  heartily  wished  that 
Anneke's  manner  had  been  less  animated  and  sincere,  as 
she  put  the  question.  Still,  I  hardly  knew  what  to  think  of 
her  feelings  towards  that  gentleman  ;  for,  otherwise,  she 
always  heard  him  named  with  a  calmness  and  self-posses 
sion  that  I  had  observed  was  not  shared  by  all  her  young 
companions,  when  there  was  occasion  to  allude  to  the  gay 
and  insinuating  soldier.  I  need  scarcely  say,  it  was  no  dis 
advantage  to  Mr.  Bulstrode  to  be  the  heir  of  a  baronetcy,  in 
an  English  colony.  Somehow  or  other,  we  are  a  little  apt 
to  magnify  such  accidental  superiority,  at  a  distance  from 
home ;  and  I  have  heard  Englishmen,  themselves,  acknow 
ledge  that  a  baronet  was  a  greater  man,  in  New  York,  than 
a  duke  was  in  London.  These  were  things,  that  passed 
through  my  mind,  as  I  rode  along  at  Anneke's  side ;  though 
I  had  the  discretion  not  to  give  utterance  to  my  thoughts. 


8  AT  ANSTOE, 


131 


w  Herman  Mordaunt  rode  in  advance,  with  Jason ;  and 
lie  led  the  party,  by  pretty  bridle-paths,  along  the  heights 
for  nearly  two  miles,  occasionally  opening  a  gate,  without 
dismounting,  until  he  reached  a  point  that  overlooked  Lilacs- 
bush,  which  was  soon  seen,  distant  from  us  less  than  half  a 
mile. 

"  Here  we  are,  on  rny  own  domain,"  he  said,  as  he  pulled 
up  to  let  us  join  him ;  "  that  last  gate  separating  me  from 
my  nearest  neighbour  south.  These  hills  are  of  no  great 
use,  except  as  early  pastures,  though  they  afford  many  beau 
tiful  views." 

"  I  have  heard  it  predicted,"  I  remarked,  "  that  the  time 
would  come,  some  day,  when  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  would 
contain  many  such  seats  as  that  of  the  Philipses,  at  Yonkers, 
and  one  or  two  more  like  it,  that  I  am  told  are  now  standing 
above  the  Highlands." 

"  Quite  possibly ;  it  is  not  easy  to  foretell  what  may  come 
to  pass  in  such  a  country.  I  dare  say,  that  in  time,  both 
towns  and  seats  will  be  seen  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson, 
and  a  powerful  and  numerous  nobility  to  occupy  the  last. 
By  the  way,  Mr.  Littlepage,  your  father  and  my  friend  Col. 
Pollock  have  been  making  a  valuable  acquisition  in  lands, 
I  hear ;  having  obtained  a  patent  for  an  extensive  estate, 
somewhere  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Albany?" 

"  It  is  not  so  very  extensive,  sir,  there  being  only  some 
forty  thousand  acres  of  it,  altogether ;  nor  is  it  very  near 
Albany,  by  what  I  can  learn,  since  it  must  lie  at  a  distance 
of  some  forty  miles,  or  more,  from  that  town.  Next  winter, 
however,  Dirck  and  myself  are  to  go  in  search  of  the  land, 
when  we  shall  learn  all  about  it." 

"  Then  we  may  meet  in  that  quarter  of  the  country.  I 
have  affairs  of  importance  at  Albany,  which  have  been  too 
long  neglected ;  and  it  has  been  my  intention  to  pass  some 
months  at  the  north,  next  season,  and  early  in  the  season,, 
too.  We  may  possibly  meet  in  the  woods." 

"  You  have  been  at  Albany,  I  suppose,  Mr.  Mordaunt?" 

"  Quite  often,  sir ;  the  distance  is  so  great,  that  one  has 
not  much  inducement  to  go  there,  unless  carried  by  affairs, 
however,  as  has  been  my  case.  I  was  at  Albany  before  my 
marriage,  and  have  had  various  occasions  to  visit  it  since." 

"  My  father  was  there,  when  a  soldier ;  and  he  tells  me 


132 


9 ATANSTOE, 


it  is  a  part  of  the  province  welt  worth  seeing.  At  all 
I  shall  encounter  the  risk  and  fatigue  next  season  ;  for  it 
useful  to  young  persons  to-  see  the  world.  Dirck  and  my 
self  may  make  the  campaign,  should  there  be  one  in  thai 
direction." 

I  fancied  Anneke  manifested  some  interest  in  this  conver 
sation  ;  but  we  rode  on,  and  soon  alighted  at  the  door  of 
Lilacsbush.  Bulstrode  was  not  in  the  way,  and  I  had  the 
supreme  pleasure  of  helping  Miss  Mordatrnt  to  alight,  when 
we  paused  a  moment  before  entering  the  house,  to  examine 
the  view.  I  have  given  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  general 
appearance  of  the  place ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  approach 
it,  in  order  to  form  a  just  conception  of  its  beauties.  As  its 
name  indicated,  the  lawn,  nowse,  and  out-buildings  were  al! 
garnished  or  buried  in  lilacs,  the  whole  of  which  were  then 
in  full  blossom.  The  flowers  filled  the  air  with  a  species 
of  purple  light,  that  cast  a  warm  and  soft  radiance  even  on 
the  glowing  face  of  Anneke,  a>s  she  pointed  out  to  me  the 
magical  effect.  I  know  no  fiower  that  does  so  much  to  em 
bellish  a  place,  as  the  lilac,  on  a  large  scale,  common  as  it 
is,  and  familiar  as  we  have  become  with  its  hues  and  its 
fragrance. 

"  We  enjoy  the  month  our  lilacs  are  ocrt,  beyond  any 
month  in  the  year,"  said  Anneke,  smiling  at  my  surprise 
and  delight ;  "  and  we  make  it  a  point  to  pass  mosf  of  it 
here.  You  will  at  least  own,  Mr.  Littlepage,  that  Lilacs- 
bush  is  properly  named." 

"  The  effect  is  more  like  enchantment  than  anything  else  !" 
I  cried.  "  I  did  not  know  that  the  simple,  modest  lilac  could 
render  anything  so  very  beautiful  ?** 

"  Simplicity  and  modesty  are  such  charms  in  themselves, 
sir,  as  to  be  potent  allies,"  observed  the  sensible  but  taciturn 
Mary  Wallace. 

To  this  I  assented,  of  course,  and  we  all  followed  Mr. 
Mordaunt  into  the  house.  I  was  as  much  delighted  with  the 
appearance  of  things  in  the  interior  of  Lilacsbush,  as  I  had 
been  with  the  exterior.  Everywhere,  it  seemed  to  me,  I  met 
with  the  signs  of  Anneke's  taste  and  skill.  I  do  not  wish 
the  reader  to  suppose  that  the  residence  itself  was  of  the  very 
first  character  and  class,  for  this  it  could  not  lay  claim  to  be. 
Still,  it  was  one  of  those  staid,  story-and-a-half  dwellings, 


SATANSTOE.  133 

in  which  most  of  our  first  families  were,  and  are  content  to 
dwell,  in  the  country ;  very  much  resembling  the  good  old 
habitation  at  Satanstoe  in  these  particulars.  The  furniture, 
however,  was  of  a  higher  town-finish  than  we  found  it  ne 
cessary  to  use;  and  the  little  parlour  in  which  we  break 
fasted  was  a  model  for  an  eating-room.  The  buffets  in  the 
corners  were  so  well  polished  that  one  might  see  his  face  in 
them ;  the  cellarets  were  ornamented  with  plated  hinges, 
locks,  &c.,  and  the  table  itself  shone  like  a  mirror.  I  know 
not  how  it  was,  but  the  china  appeared  to  me  richer  and 
neater  than  common  under  Anneke's  pretty  little  hand ; 
while  the  massive  and  highly-finished  plate  of  the  breakfast 
service,  was  such  as  could  be  wrought  only  in  England.  In 
a  word,  while  everything  appeared  rich  and  respectable, 
there  was  a  certain  indescribable  air  of  comfort,  gentility, 
and  neatness  about  the  whole,  that  impressed  me  in  an  un 
usual  manner. 

"Mr.  Littlepage  tells  me,  Anneke,"  observed  Herman 
Mordaunt,  while  we  were  at  breakfast,  "  that  he  intends  to 
make  a  journey  to  the  north,  next  winter,  and  it  may  be  our 

good  fortune  to  meet  him  there.  The th  expects  to  be 

ordered  up  as  high  as  Albany,  this  summer;  and  we  may 
all  renew  our  songs  and  jests,  with  Bulstrode  and  his  gay 
companions,  among  the  Dutchmen." 

I  was  charmed  with  this  prospect  of  meeting  Anneke 
Mordaunt  at  the  north,  and  took  occasion  to  say  as  much ; 
though  I  was  afraid  it  was  in  an  awkward  and  confused 
manner. 

"  I  heard  as  much  as  this,  sir,  while  we  were  riding," 
answered  the  daughter.  "  I  hope  cousin  Dirck  is  to  be  of 
the  party  ?" 

Cousin  Dirck  assured  her  he  was,  and  we  discussed  in 
anticipation  the  pleasure  it  must  give  to  old  acquaintances 
to  meet  so  far  from  home.  Not  one  of  us,  Herman  Mor 
daunt  excepted,  had  ever  been  one  hundred  miles  from  his 
or  her  birth-place,  as  was  ascertained  on  comparing  notes. 
I  was  the  greatest  traveller ;  Princeton  lying  between  eighty 
and  ninety  miles  from  Satanstoe,  as  the  road  goes. 

"  Perhaps  I  come  nearer  to  it  than  any  of  you,"  put  in 
Jason,  "  for  my  late  journey  on  the  island  must  have  carried 
me  nearly  that  far  from  Danbury.  But,  ladies,  I  can  assure 
2 


134  SATAN STOE. 

you,  a  traveller  has  many  opportunities  for  learning  useful 
things,  as  I  know  by  the  difference  there  is  between  York 
and  Connecticut." 

"And  which  do  you  prefer,  Mr.  Newcome  ?"  asked  Anneke, 
with  a  somewhat  comical  expression  about  her  laughing  eyes. 

"  That  is  hardly  a  fair  question,  Miss ,-"  no  reproof  could 
break  Jason  of  this  vulgarism,  "since  it  might  make  ene 
mies  for  a  body  to  speak  all  of  his  mind  in  such  matters. 
There  are  comparisons  that  should  never  be  made,  on 
account  of  circumstances  that  overrule  all  common  efforts. 
New  York  is  a  great  colony — a  very  great  colony,  Miss  ; 
but  it  was  once  Dutch,  as  everybody  knows,  begging  Mr. 
Pollock's  pardon  ;  and  it  must  be  confessed  Connecticut  has, 
from  the  first,  enjoyed  almost  unheard-of  advantages,  in  the 
moral  and  religious  character  of  her  people,  the  excellence 
of  her  lands,  and  the  purity"  —  Jason  called  this  word 
"  poority ;"  but  that  did  not  alter  the  sentiment — though  I 
must  say,  once  for  all,  it  is  out  of  my  power  to  spell  every 
word  as  this  man  saw  fit  to  pronounce  it — "  of  her  people 
and  church." 

Herman  Mordaunt  looked  up  with  surprise,  at  this  speech  ; 
but  Dirck  and  I  had  heard  so  many  like  it,  that  we  saw 
nothing  out  of  the  way  on  this  particular  occasion.  As  for 
the  ladies,  they  'were  too  well-bred  to  glance  at  each  other, 
as  girls  sometimes  will ;  but  I  could  see  that  each  thought 
the  speaker  a  very  singular  person. 

"You  find,  then,  a  difference  in  customs  between  the  two 
colonies,  sir?"  said  Herman  Mordaunt. 

"  A  vast  difference  truly,  sir.  Now  there  was  a  little 
thing  happened  about  your  daughter,  'Squire  Mordaunt,  the 
very  first  time  I  saw  her"  —  the  present  was  the  second 
interview  —  "that  could  no  more  have  happened  in  Con 
necticut,  than  the  whole  of  the  province  could  be  put  into 
that  tea-cup." 

"  To  my  daughter,  Mr.  Newcome !" 

"  Yes,  sir,  to  your  own  daughter ;  Miss,  that  sits  there 
looking  as  innocent  as  if  it  had  never  come  to  pass." 

"  This  is  so  extraordinary,  sir,  that  I  must  beg  an  expla 
nation." 

"  You  may  well  call  it  extr'ornary,  for  extr'ornary  it 
would  be  called  all  over  Connecticut ;  and  I  '11  never  give 


8ATANSTOE.  135 

Up  that  York,  if  this  be  a  York  usage,  is  or  can  be  right  in 
such  a  matter,  at  least." 

"  I  entreat  you  to  be  more  explicit,  Mr.  Newcome." 

"  Why,  sir,  you  must  know,  Corny,  here,  and  I,  and 
Dirck  there,  went  in  to  see  the  lion,  about'  which  no  doubt 
you  've  heard  so  much,  and  Corny  paid  for  Miss's  ticket 
Well,  that  was  all  right  enough,  but " 

"  Surely,  Anneke,  you  have  not  forgotten  to  return  to 
Mr.  Littlepage  the  money  !" 

"  Listen  patiently,  my  dear  sir,  and  you  will  get  the 
whole  story,  my  delinquencies  and  debts  included,  if  any 
there  are." 

"  That 's  just  what  she  did,  'Squire  Mordaunt,  and  I 
maintain  there  is  not  the  man  in  all  Connecticut  that  would 
have  taken  it.  If  ladies  can't  be  treated  to  sights,  and 
other  amusements,  I  should  like  to  know  who  is  to  be  so." 

Herman  Mordaunt,  at  first,  looked  gravely  at  the  speaker, 
but  catching  the  expression  of  our  eyes  he  answered  with  the 
tact  of  a  perfectly  well-bred  man,  as  he  certainly  was,  on 
all  occasions  that  put  him  to  the  proof — 

"  You  must  overlook  Miss  Mordaunt's  adhering  to  her 
own  customs,  Mr.  Newcome,  on  account  of  her  youth,  and 
her  little  knowledge  of  any  world  but  that  immediately 
around  her.  When  she  has  enjoyed  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  Danbury,  no  doubt  she  will  improve  by  the  occasion." 

"  But,  Corny,  sir — think  of  Corny's  falling  into  such  a 
mistake !" 

"  As  for  Mr.  Littlepage,  I  must  suppose  he  labours  under 
somewhat  of  the  same  disadvantage.  We  are  less  gallant 
here  than  you  happen  to  be  in  Connecticut;  hence  our 
inferiority.  At  some  future  day,  perhaps,  when  society 
shall  have  made  a  greater  progress  among  us,  our  youths 
will  come  to  see  the  impropriety  of  permitting  the  fair  sex 
to  pay  for  anything,  even  their  own  ribands.  I  have  long 
known,  sir,  that  you  of  New  England  claim  to  treat  your 
women  better  than  they  are  treated  in  any  other  portion  of 
the  inhabited  world,  and  it  must  be  owing  to  that  circumstance 
that  they  enjoy  the  advantage  of  being  '  treated'  for  nothing." 

With  this  concession  Jason  was  apparently  content. 
How  much  of  this  provincial  feeling,  arising  from  provin 
cial  ignorance,  have  I  seen  since  that  time !  It  is  certain 


136  SATANSTOE. 

that  our  fellow-subjects  of  the  eastern  provinces  are  not 
addicted  to  hiding  their  lights  under  bushels,  but  make  the 
most  of  all  their  advantages.  That  they  are  superior  to  us 
of  York,  in  some  respects,  I  am  willing  enough  to  allow ; 
but  there  are  certainly  points  on  which  this  superiority  is 
far  less  apparent.  As  for  Jason,  he  was  entirely  satisfied 
with  the  answer  of  Herman  Mordaunt,  and  often  alluded  to 
the  subject  afterwards,  to  my  prejudice,  and  with  great  self- 
complacency.  To  be  sure,  it  is  a  hard  lesson  to  beat  into 
the  head  of  the  self-sufficient  colonist,  that  his  own  little 
corner  of  the  earth  does  not  contain  all  that  is  right,  and 
just,  and  good,  and  refined. 

I  left  Lilacsbush,  that  day,  deeply  in  love.  I  hold  it  to 
be  unmanly  to  attempt  to  conceal  it.  Anneke  had  made  a 
lively  impression  on  me  from  the  very  first,  but  that  im 
pression  had  now  gone  deeper  than  the  imagination,  and 
had  very  sensibly  touched  the  heart.  Perhaps  it  was  ne 
cessary  to  see  her  in  the  retirement  of  the  purely  domestic 
circle,  to  give  alt  her  charms  their  just  ascendency.  While 
in  town,  I  had  usually  met  her  in  crowds,  surrounded  by 
admirers  or  other  young  persons  of  her  own  sex,  and  there 
was  less  opportunity  for  viewing  the  influence  of  nature  and 
the  affections  on  her  manner.  With  Mary  Wallace  at 
her  side,  however,  there  was  always  one  on  whom  she 
could  exhibit  just  enough  of  these  feelings  to  bring  out  the 
loveliness  of  her  nature  without  effort  or  affectation.  Anne 
Mordaunt  never  spoke  to  her  friend  without  a  change  ap 
pearing  in  her  manner.  Affection  thrilled  in  the  tones  of 
her  voice,  confidence  beamed  in  her  eye,  and  esteem  and 
respect  were  to  be  gathered  from  the  expectation  and 
deference  that  shone  in  her  countenance.  Mary  Wallace 
was  two  years  the  oldest,  and  these  years  taken  m  connec 
tion  with  her  character,  entitled  her  to  receive  this  tribute 
from  her  nearest  associate;  but  all  these  feelings  flowed 
spontaneously  from  the  heart,  for  never  was  an  intercourse 
between  two  of  the  sex  more  thoroughly  free  from  acting. 

It  was  a  proof  that  passion  was  getting  the  mastery  over 
me,  that  I  now  forgot  Dirck,  his  obvious  attachment,  older 
claims,  and  possible  success.  I  know  not  how  it  was,  or 
why  it  was,  but  it  was  certain  that  Herman  Mordaunt  had 
a  great  regard  for  Dirck  Van  Valkenburgh.  The  affinity 


SATANSTOE.  137 

may  have  counted  for  something,  and  it  was  possible  that  the 
father  was  already  weighing  the  advantages  that  might 
accrue  from  such  a  connection.  Col.  Pollock  had  the  re 
putation  of  being  rich,  as  riches  were  then  counted  among 
us  ;  and  the  young  fellow  himself,  in  addition  to  a  fine  manly 
figure,  that  was  fast  developing  itself  into  the  frame  of  a 
youthful  Hercules,  had  an  excellent  temper,  and  a  good 
reputation.  Still,  this  idea  never  troubled  me.  Of  Dirck  I 
had  no  fears,  while  Bulstrode  gave  me  great  uneasiness, 
from  the  first.  I  saw  all  his  advantages,  may  have  even 
magnified  them ;  while  those  of  my  near  and  immediate 
friend,  gave  me  no  trouble  whatever.  It  is  possible,  had 
Dirck  presented  himself  oftener,  or  more  distinctly  to  my 
mind,  a  feeling  of  magnanimity  might  have  induced  me  to 
withdraw  in  time,  and  leave  him  a  field  to  which  he  had 
the  earliest  claim.  But,  after  the  morning  at  Lilacsbush, 
it  was  too  late  for  any  such  sacrifice  on  my  part ;  and  I  rode 
away  from  the  house,  at  the  side  of  my  friend,  as  forgetful 
of  his  interest  in  Anneke,  as  if  he  had  never  felt  any.  Mag 
nanimity  and  I  had  no  further  connection  in  relation  to  my 
pretensions  to  Anneke  Mordaunt. 

"  Well,"  commenced  Jason,  as  soon  as  we  were  fairly  ift 
the  saddle,  "  these  Mordaunts  are  even  a  notch  above  your 
folks,  Corny?  There  was  more  silver  vessels  in  that  room 
where  we  ate,  than  there  is  at  this  moment  in  all  Danbury  I 
The  extravagance  amounts  to  waste.  The  old  gentleman 
must  be  desperate  rich,  Dirck  ?" 

"  Herman  Mordaunt  has  a  good  estate,  and  very  little  of 
it  has  gone  for  plate,  Jason ;  that  which  you  saw  is  old,  and 
came  either  from  Holland,  or  England ;  one  home,  or  the 
other." 

"  Oh  !  Holland  is  no  home  for  me,  boy.  Depend  on  it,  all 
that  plate  is  not  put  there  for  nothing.  If  the  truth  could  be 
come  at,  this  Herman  Mordaunt,  as  you  call  him,  though  I 
do  not  see  why  you  cannot  call  him  'Squire  Mordaunt,  like 
other  folks,  but  this  Mr.  Mordaunt  has  some  notion,  I  con 
clude,  to  get  his  daughter  off  on  one  of  these  rich  English 
officers,  of  whom  there  happen  to  be  so  many  in  the  pro 
vince,  just  at  this  time.  I  never  saw  the  gentleman,  but 
there  was  one  Bulstrode  named  pretty  often  this  forenoon," 
•—Jason's  morning  always  terminated  at  his  usual  breakfast 
12* 


138  SATANSTOE. 

hour, — "and  I  rather  conclude  he  will  turn -out  to  be  the 
chap,  in  the  long  run.  Such  is  my  calculation,  and  they 
don't  often  fail." 

I  saw  a  quick,  surprised  start  in  Dirck ;  but  I  felt  such  a 
twinge  myself,  that  there  was  little  opportunity  to  inquirfc 
into  the  state  of  my  friend's  feelings,  at  this  coarse,  but  un. 
expected  remark. 

"Have  you  any  particular  reason,  Mr.  Newcome,  foi 
venturing  such  an  opinion?"  I  asked,  a  little  sternly. 

"Come,  don't  let  us,  out  here  in  the  high- way,  begin  to 
mister  one  another.  You  are  Corny,  Dirck  is  Dirck,  and 
I  arn  Jason.  The  shortest  way  is  commonly  the  best  way, 
and  I  like  given-names  among  friends.  Have  I  any  parti 
cular  reason? — Yes;  plenty  on  'em,  and  them  that's  good. 
In  the  first  place,  no  man  has  a  daughter," — darter  a  la 
Jason, — "  that  he  does  not  begin  to  think  of  setting  her  out 
in  the  world,  accordin'  to  his  abilities  ;  then,  as  I  said  be 
fore,  these  folks  from  home"  (hum)  "  are  awful  rich,  and 
rich  husbands  are  always  satisfactory  to  parents,  what 
ever  they  may  be  to  children.  Besides,  some  of  these 
officers  will  fall  heirs  to  titles,  and  that  is  a  desperate  tempt 
ation  to  a  woman,  all  over  the  world.  I  hardly  think  there 
is  a  young  woman  in  Danbury  that  could  hold  out  agin'  a 
real  title." 

It  has  always  struck  me  as  singular,  that  the  people  of 
Jason's  part  of  the  provinces  should  entertain  so  much  pro 
found  respect  for  titles.  No  portion  of  the  world  is  of 
simpler  habits,  nor  is  it  easier  to  find  any  civilized  people 
among  whom  there  is  greater  equality  of  actual  condition, 
which,  one  would  think,  must  necessarily  induce  equality 
of  feeling,  than  in  Connecticut,  at  this  very  moment.  Not 
withstanding  these  facts,  the  love  of  title  is  so  great,  that 
even  that  of  serjeant  is  often  prefixed  to  the  name  of  a  man 
on  his  tombstone,  or  in  the  announcement  of  his  death  or 
marriage;  and  as  for  the  militia  ensigns  and  lieutenants, 
there  is  no  end  to  them.  Deacon  is  an  important  title, 
which  is  rarely  omitted  ;  and  wo  betide  the  man  who  should 
forget  to  call  a  magistrate  "  esquire."  No  such  usages  pre 
vail  among  us ;  or,  if  they  do,  it  is  among  that  portion  of 
the  people  of  this  colony  which  is  derived  from  New  Eng 
land,  and  still  retains  some  of  its  customs.  Then,  in  no 


SATANSTOE.  139 

part  of  the  colonies  is  English  rank  more  deferred  to,  than 
in  New  England,  generally,  notwithstanding  most  of  those 
colonies  possess  the  right  to  elect  nearly  every  officer  they 
have  among  them.  I  allow  that  we  of  New  York  defer 
greatly  to  men  of  birth  and  rank  from  home,  and  it  is  right 
we  should  so  do ;  but  I  do  not  think  our  deference  is  as 
great,  or  by  any  means  as  general,  as  it  is  in  New  England. 
It  is  possible  the  influence  of  the  Dutch  may  have  left  an 
impression  on  our  state  of  society,  though  I  have  been  told 
that  the  colonies  farther  south  exhibit  very  much  the  same 
characteristics  as  we  do,  ourselves,  on  this  head.* 

We  reached  Satanstoe  a  little  late,  in  consequence  of  the 
delay  at  Lilacsbush,  and  were  welcomed  with  affection  and 
warmth.  My  excellent  mother  was  delighted  to  see  me 
at  home  again,  after  so  long  an  absence,  and  one  which  she 
did  not  think  altogether  without  peril,  when  it  was  remem 
bered  that  I  had  passed  a  whole  fortnight  amid  the  tempta 
tions  and  fascinations  of  the  capital.  I  saw  the  tears  in  her 
eyes  as  she  kissed  me,  again  and  again,  and  felt  the  gentle, 

*  As  respects  the  love  of  titles  that  are  derived  from  the  people, 
there  is  nothing  opposed  to  strict  republican,  or  if  the  reader  will,  de 
mocratic,  principles,  since  it  is  deferring  to  the  power  that  appoints, 
and  manifests  a  respect  for  that  which  the  community  chooses  to  elevate. 
But,  the  deference  to  English  rank,  mentioned  by  Mr.  Littlepage,  is 
undeniably  greater  among  the  mass  in  New  England,  than  it  is  any- 
where  else  in  this  country,  at  this  very  moment.  One  leading  Nev» 
York  paper,  edited  by  New  England  men,  during  the  last  contro 
versy  about  the  indemnity  to  be  paid  by  France,  actually  styled  the 
Due  de  Broglie  "  his  grace,"  like  a  Grub  Street  cockney, — a  mode  of 
address  that  would  astonish  that  respectable  statesman,  quite  as  much 
as  it  must  have  amused  every  man  of  the  world  who  saw  it.  I  have 
been  much  puzzled  to  account  for  this  peculiarity  —  unquestionably 
one  that  exists  in  the  country — but  have  supposed  it  must  be  owing 
to  the  diffusion  of  information  which  carries  intelligence  sufficiently  far 
to  acquaint  the  mass  with  leading  social  features,  without  going  far 
enough  to  compensate  for  a  provincial  position  and  provincial  habits. 
Perhaps  the  exclusively  English  origin  of  the  people  may  have  an 
influence.  The  writer  has  passed  portions  of  two  seasons  in  Swit 
zerland,  and,  excluding  the  small  forest  cantons,  he  has  no  hesitation 
in  saying  that  the  habits  and  general  notions  of  Connecticut  are 
more  inherently  democratical  than  those  of  any  part  of  that  country. 
Notwithstanding,  he  thinks  a  ncbleman,  particularly  an  English 
nobleman,  is  a  far  greater  man  ir>  New  England,  than  he  is  among 
the  real  middle-state  families  of  New  York. — EDITOR. 


140  8ATANSTOE. 

warm  embrace,  as  she  pressed  me  to  her  bosom,  in  maternal 
thanksgiving. 

Of  course,  I  had  to  render  an  account  of  all  I  had  seen 
and  done,  including  Pinkster,  the  theatre,  and  the  lion.  I 
said  nothing,  however,  of  the  Mordaunts,  until  questioned 
about  them  by  my  mother,  quite  a  fortnight  after  Dirck  had 
gone  across  to  Rockland.  One  morning,  as  I  sat  endea 
vouring  to  write  a  sonnet  in  my  own  room,  that  excellent 
parent  entered  and  took  a  seat  near  my  table,  with  the  fami 
liarity  the  relation  she  bore  me  justified.  She  was  knitting 
at  the  time,  for  never  was  she  idle,  except  when  asleep.  I 
saw  by  the  placid  smile  on  her  face,  which,  Heaven  bless 
her !  was  still  smooth  and  handsome,  that  something  was 
on  her  mind,  that  was  far  from  disagreeable;  and  I  waited 
with  some  curiosity  for  the  opening.  That  excellent  mo 
ther  !  How  completely  did  she  live  out  of  herself  in  all 
that  had  the  most  remote  bearing  on  my  future  hopes  and 
happiness ! 

"  Finish  your  writing,  my  son,"  commenced  my  mother, 
for  I  had  instinctively  striven  to  conceal  the  sonnet;  "finish 
your  writing ;  until  you  have  done,  I  will  be  silent." 

"  I  have  done,  now,  mother ;  'twas  only  a  copy  of  verses 
I  was  endeavouring  to  write  out — you  know — that  is — write 
out,  you  know." 

"  I  did  not  know  you  were  a  poet,  Corny,"  returned  my 
mother,  smiling  still  more  complacently,  for  it  is  something 
to  be  the  parent  of  a  poet. 

"I! — I  a  poet,  mother? — I'd  sooner  turn  school-master, 
than  turn  poet.  Yes,  I  'd  sooner  be  Jason  Newcome,  him 
self,  than  even  suspect  it  possible  I  could  be  a  poet." 

"  Well,  never  mind ;  people  never  turn  poets,  I  fancy, 
with  their  eyes  open.  But,  what  is  this  I  hear  of  your 
having  saved  a  beautiful  young  lady  from  the  jaws  of  a 
lion,  while  you  were  in  town  ;  and  why  was  I  left  to  learn 
all  the  particulars  from  Mr.  Newcome  ?" 

I  believe  my  face  was  of  the  colour  of  scarlet,  for  it  felt 
as  if  it  were  on  fire,  and  my  mother  smiled  still  more  de 
cidedly  than  ever.  Speak  !  I  could  not  have  spoken  to  be 
thus  smiled  on  by  Anneke. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of,  Corny,  in  rescuing 
a  young  lady  from  a  lion,  or  in  going  to  her  father's  to 


8ATANSTOE.  141 

receive  the  thanks  of  the  family.  The  Mordaunts  are  a 
family  any  one  can  visit  with  pleasure.  Was  the  battle 
between  you  and  the  beast,  a  very  desperate  conflict,  my 
child?" 

"  Poh !  mother : — Jason  is  a  regular  dealer  in  marvels, 
and  he  makes  mountains  of  mole-hills.  In  the  first  place, 
for  *  jaws,'  you  must  substitute  '  paws,'  and  for  a  '  young 
lady,'  'her  shawl.'" 

"  Yes,  I  understand  it  was  the  shawl,  but  it  was  on  her 
shoulders,  and  could  not  have  been  disengaged  time  enough 
to  save  her,  had  you  not  shown  so  much  presence  of  mind 
and  courage.  As  for  the  'jaws,'  I  believe  that  was  my 
mistake,  for  Mr.  Newcome  certainly  said  '  claws.' " 

"  Well,  mother,  have  it  your  own  way.  I  was  of  a  little 
service  to  a  very  charming  young  woman,  and  she  and  her 
father  were  civil  to  me,  as  a  matter  of  course.  Herman 
Mordaunt  is  a  name  we  all  know,  and,  as  you  say,  his  is  a 
family  that  any  man  may  be  proud  of  visiting,  ay,  and 
pleased  too." 

"  How  odd  it  is,  Corny,"  added  my  mother,  in  a  sort  of 
musing,  soliloquizing  way, — "  you  are  an  only  child,  and 
Anneke  Mordaunt  is  also  an  only  child,  as  Dirck  Follock 
has  often  told  me." 

"  Then  Dirck  has  spoken  to  you  frequently  of  Anneke, 
before  this,  mother  ?" 

"  Time  and  again ;  they  are  relations,  you  must  have 
heard ;  as,  indeed,  you  are  yourself,  if  you  did  but  know 
it." 

"  I  ? — I  related  to  Anneke  Mordaunt,  without  being  too 
near?" 

My  dear  mother  smiled  again,  while  I  felt  sadly  ashamed 
of  myself  at  the  next  instant.  I  believe  that  a  suspicion 
of  the  truth,  as  respects  my  infant  passion,  existed  in  that 
dear  parent's  mind  from  that  moment. 

"  Certainly  related,  Corny,  and  I  will  tell  you  how.  My 
great-great-grandmother,  Alicia  van  der  Heyden,  was  a  first 
cousin  of  Herman  Mordaunt's  great-great-grandmother,  by 
his  mother's  side,  who  was  a  Van  Kleeck.  So,  you  see, 
you  and  Anneke  are  actually  related." 

"  Just  near  enough,  mother,  to  put  one  at  ease  in  their 


142  SATANSTOE. 

house,  and  not  so  near  as  to  make  relationship  trouble 
some." 

"  They  tell  me,  my  child,  that  Anneke  is  a  sweet  crea 
ture  !" 

"  If  beauty,  and  modesty,  and  grace,  and  gentleness,  and 
spirit,  and  sense,  and  delicacy,  and  virtue,  and  piety,  can 
make  any  young  woman  of  seventeen  a  sweet  creature, 
mother,  then  Anneke  is  sweet.** 

My  dear  mother  seemed  surprised  at  my  warmth,  but  she 
smiled  still  more  complacently  than  ever.  Instead  of  pur 
suing  the  subject,  however,  she 'saw  fit  to  change  it,  by 
speaking  of  the  prospects  of  the  season,  and  the  many 
reasons  we  all  had  for  thankfulness  to  God.  I  presume, 
with  a  woman's  instinct,  she  had  learned  enough  to  satisfy 
her  mind  for  the  present. 

The  summer  soon  succeeded  to  the  May  that  proved  so 
momentous  to  me ;  and  I  sought  occupation  in  the  fields. 
Occupation,  however,  would  not  do.  Anneke  was  with  me, 
go  where  I  would ;  and  glad  was  I  when  Dirck,  about  mid 
summer,  in  one  of  his  periodical  visits  to  Satanstoe,  proposed 
that  we  should  ride  over,  and  make  another  visit  to  Lilacs- 
bush.  He  had  written  a  note,  to  say  we  should  be  glad  to 
ask  a  dinner  and  beds,  if  it  were  convenient,  for  a  day  a 
short  distance  ahead  ;  and  he  waited  the  answer  at  the  Neck. 
This  answer  arrived  duly  by  mail,  and  was  everything 
we  could  wish.  Herman  Mordaunt  offered  us  a  hearty  wel 
come,  and  sent  the  grateful  intelligence  that  his  daughter 
and  Mary  Wallace  would  both  be  present  to  receive  us.  I 
envied  Dirck  the  manly  feeling  which  had  induced  him  to 
take  this  plain  and  respectable  course  to  his  object. 

We  went  across  the  country,  accordingly,  and  reached 
Lilacsbush  several  hours  before  dinner.  Anneke  received 
us  with  a  bright  suffusion  of  the  face,  and  kind  smiles ; 
though  I  could  not  detect  the  slightest  difference  in  her 
manners  to  either.  To  both  was  she  gracious,  gentle,  at 
tentive,  and  lady- like.  No  allusion  was  made  to  the  past, 
except  a  few  remarks  that  were  given  on  the  subject  of  the 

theatre.  The  officers  had  continued  to  play  until  the th 

had  been  ordered  up  the  river,  when  Bulstrode,  Billings, 
Harris,  virtuous  Marcia,  and  all,  had  proceeded  to  Albany 
in  company.  Anneke  thought  there  was  about  as  much  to 


SATANSTOE.  143 

be  displeased  with,  as  there  was  to  please,  in  these  repre 
sentations  ;  though  her  removal  to  the  country  had  prevent 
ed  her  seeing  more  than  three  of  them  all.  It  was  admitted 
all  round,  however,  that  Bulstrode  played  admirably ;  and 
it  was  even  regretted  by  certain  persons,  that  he  should  not 
have  been  devoted  to  the  stage. 

We  passed  the  night  at  Lilacsbush,  and  remained  an  hour 
or  two  after  breakfast,  next  morning.  I  had  carried  a  warm 
invitation  from  both  my  parents  to  Herman  Mordaunt,  to 
ride  over,  with  the  young  ladies,  and  taste  the  fish  of  the 
Sound ;  and  the  visit  was  returned  in  the  course  of  the 
month  of  September.  My  mother  received  Anneke  as  a 
relation ;  though  I  believe  that  both  Herman  Mordaunt  and 
his  daughter  were  surprised  to  learn  that  they  came  within 
even  the  wide  embrace  of  Dutch  kindred.  They  did  not 
seem  displeased,  however,  for  the  family  name  of  my  mother 
was  good,  and  no  one  need  have  been  ashamed  of  affinity  to 
her,  on  her  own  account.  Our  guests  did  not  remain  the 
night,  but  they  left  us  in  a  sort  of  a  chaise  that  Herman 
Mordaunt  kept  for  country  use,  about  an  hour  before  sun 
set.  I  mounted  my  horse,  and  rode  five  miles  with  the 
party,  on  its  way  back,  and  then  took  my  leave  of  Anneke, 
as  it  turned  out,  for  many,  many  weary  months. 

The  year  1757  was  memorable  in  the  colonies,  by  the 
progress  of  the  war,  and  as  much  so  in  New  York  as  in  any 
other  province.  Montcalm  had  advanced  to  the  head  of 
Lake  George,  had  taken  Fort  William  Henry,  and  a  fearful 
massacre  of  the  garrison  had  succeeded.  This  bold  opera 
tion  left  the  enemy  in  possession  of  Champlain  ;  and  the 
strong  post  of  Ticonderoga  was  adequately  garrisoned  by  a 
formidable  force.  A  general  gloom  was  cast  over  the  poli 
tical  affairs  of  the  colony ;  and  it  was  understood  that  a 
great  effort  was  to  be  made,  the  succeeding  campaign,  to 
repair  the  loss.  Rumour  spoke  of  large  reinforcements 
from  home,  and  of  greater  levies  in  the  colonies  themselves 
than  had  been  hitherto  attempted.  Lord  Loudon  was  to  re 
turn  home,  and  a  veteran  of  the  name  of  Abercrombie  wns 
to  succeed  him  in  the  command  of  all  the  forces  of  the  king. 
Regiments  began  to  arrive  from  the  West  Indies;  and,  in 
the  course  of  the  winter  of  1757-8,  we  heard  at  Satanstoe 
of  the  gaieties  that  these  new  forces  had  introduced  into  the 


144 


S ATANSTOE 


town.     Among  other  things,  a  regular  corps  of  Thespians 
had  arrived  from  the  West  Indies. 


CHAPTER  X. 

«  Dear  Hasty-Pudding,  what  unpromised  joy 
Expands  my  heart  to  meet  thee  in  Savoy  ! 
Doom'd  o'er  the  world  through  devious  paths  to  roam, 
Each  clime  my  country,  and  each  house  my  home, 
My  soul  is  sooth'd,  my  cares  have  found  an  end : 
I  greet  my  long-lost,  iKiforgotten  friend." 

BARLOW. 

THE  winter  was  soon  drawing  to  a  close,  and  my  twenty- 
first  birth-day  was  past.  My  father  and  Col.  Pollock,  who 
came  over  to  smoke  more  than  usual  that  winter  with  my 
father,  began  to  talk  of  the  journey  Dirck  and  I  were  to 
take,  in  quest  of  the  Patent.  Maps  were  procured,  calcula 
tions  were  made,  and  different  modes  of  proceeding  were 
proposed,  by  the  various  members  of  the  family.  I  wil. 
acknowledge  that  the  sight  of  the  large,  coarse,  parchment 
map  of  the  Mooseridge  Patent,  as  the  new  acquisition  was 
called,  from  the  circumstance  of  the  surveyors  having  shot 
a  moose  on  a  particular  ridge  of  land  in  its  centre,  excited 
certain  feelings  of  avarice  within  my  mind.  There  were 
streams  meandering  among  hills  and  valleys  ;  little  lakes,  or 
ponds,  as  they  were  erroneously  called  in  the  language  of 
the  country,  dotted  the  surface ;  and  there  were  all  the 
artistical  proofs  of  a  valuable  estate  that  a  good  map-maker 
could  devise,  to  render  the  whole  pleasing  and  promising.* 

*  Forty  years  ago,  a  gentleman  in  New  York  purchased  a  consider 
able  body  of  wild  land,  on  the  faith  of  the  map.  When  he  came  to 
examine  his  new  property,  it  was  found  to  be  particularly  wanting  in 
water-courses.  The  surveyor  was  sought,  and  rebuked  for  his  decep 
tion,  the  map  having  numerous  streams,  &c.  "  Why  did  you  lay 
down  all  these  streams  here,  where  none  are  to  be  found  ?"  demanded 
the  irritated  purchaser,  pointing  to  the  document.  "Why?  —  Why, 
who  the  d — 1  ever  saw  a  map  without  rivers?"  was  the  answer. 
EDITOR. 


SATAN  STOE. 


145 


If  it  were  a  good  thing  to  be  the  heir  of  Satanstoe,  it  was 
far  better  to  be  the  tenant  in  common,  with  my  friend 
Dirck,  of  all  these  ample  plains,  rich  bottoms,  flowing 
streams  and  picturesque  lakes.  In  a  word,  for  the  first 
time,  in  the  history  of  the  colonies,  the  Littlepages  had  be 
come  the  owners  of  what  might  be  termed  an  estate.  Ac 
cording  to  our  New  York  parlance,  six  or  eight  hundred 
acres  are  not  an  estate  ;  nor  two  or  three  thousand,  scarcely; 
but  ten,  or  twenty,  and  much  more,  forty  thousand  acres  of 
land  might  be  dignified  with  the  name  of  an  estate  ! 

The  first  knotty  point  discussed,  was  to  settle  the  manner 
in  which  Dirck  and  myself  should  reach  Mooseridge.  Two 
modes  of  going  as  far  as  Albany  offered,  and  on  one  of 
these  it  was  our  first  concern  to  decide.  We  might  wait 
until  the  river  opened,  and  go  as  far  as  Albany  in  a  sloop, 
of  which  one  or  two  left  town  each  week  when  business 
was  active,  as  it  was  certain  to  be  in  the  spring  of  the  year. 
It  was  thought,  however,  that  the  army  would  require  most 
of  the  means  of  transportation  of  this  nature  that  offered ; 
and  it  might  put  us  to  both  inconvenience  and  delay,  to 
wait  on  the  tardy  movements  of  quarter-masters  and  con 
tractors.  My  grandfather  shook  his  head  when  the  thing 
was  named,  and  advised  us  to  remain  as  independent  as 
possible, 

"  Have  as  little  as  possible  to  do  with  such  people, 
Corny,"  put  in  my  grandfather,  now  a  grey-headed,  vene 
rable-looking  old  gentleman,  who  did  not  wear  his  wig  half 
the  time,  but  was  content  to  appear  in  a  pointed  night-cap 
and  gown  at  all  hours,  until  just  before  dinner  was  an 
nounced,  when  he  invariably  came  forth  dressed  as  a  gen 
tleman — "  Have  as  little  as  possible  to  do  with  these  gentry, 
Corny.  Money,  and  not  honour,  is  their  game ;  and  you 
will  be  treated  like  a  barrel  of  beef,  or  a  bag  of  potatoes,  if 
you  fall  into  their  hands.  If  you  move  with  the  army  at 
all,  keep  among  the  real  soldiers,  my  boy,  and,  above  all 
things,  avoid  the  contractors." 

It  was  consequently  determined  that  there  was  too  much 
uncertainty  and  delay  in  waiting  for  a  passage  to  Albany 
by  water ;  for  it  was  known  that  the  voyage  itself  often 
lasted  ten  days,  or  a  fortnight,  and  it  would  be  so  late  be 
fore  we  could  sail,  as  to  render  this  delay  very  inconvenient. 
•3 


146  SATANSTOE. 

The  other  mode  of  journeying,  was  to  go  before  the  snow 
had  melted  from  the  roads,  by  the  aid  of  which,  it  was 
quite  possible  to  make  the  distance  between  Satanstoe  and 
Albany  in  three  days. 

Certain  considerations  of  economy  next  offered,  and  we 
settled  down  on  the  following  plan ;  which,  as  it  strikes  me, 
is,  even  now,  worthy  of  being  mentioned  on  account  of  its 
prudence  and  judgment.  It  was  well  known  that  there 
would  be  a  great  demand  for  horses  for  the  army,  as  well 
as  for  stores,  provisions,  &c.,  of  various  sorts.  Now,  we 
had  on  the  Neck  several  stout  horses,  that  were  falling  into 
years,  though  still  serviceable  and  good  for  a  campaign. 
Col.  Pollock  had  others  of  the  same  description,  and  when 
the  cavalry  of  the  two  farms  were  all  assembled  at  Satans 
toe,  there  were  found  to  be  no  fewer  than  fourteen  of  the 
venerable  animals.  These  made  just  three  four-horse  teams, 
besides  leaving  a  pair  for  a  lighter  load.  Old,  stout  lumber 
sleighs  were  bought,  or  found,  and  repaired ;  and  Jaap, 
having  two  other  blacks  with  him,  was  sent  off  at  the  head 
of  what  my  father  called  a  brigade  of  lumber  sleighs,  all 
of  which  were  loaded  with  the  spare  pork  and  flour  of  the 
two  families.  The  war  had  rendered  these  articles  quite 
high ;  but  the  hogs  that  were  slaughtered  at  Christmas  had 
not  yet  been  sold  ;  and  it  was  decided  that  Dirck  and  myself 
could  not  commence  our  career  as  men  who  had  to  buy  and 
sell  from  the  respective  farms,  in  any  manner  more  likely  to 
be  useful  to  us  and  to  our  parents,  than  this.  As  Yaap's 
movements  were  necessarily  slow,  he  was  permitted  to  pre 
cede  Dirck  and  myself  by  two  entire  days,  giving  him  time 
to  clear  the  Highlands  before  we  left  Satanstoe.  The  negroes 
carried  the  provender  for  their  horses,  and  no  small  portion 
of  the  food,  and  all  of  the  cider  that  was  necessary  for  their 
own  consumption.  No  one  was  ashamed  of  economising 
with  his  slaves  in  this  manner ;  the  law  of  slavery  itself 
existing  principally  as  a  money-making  institution.  I  men 
tion  these  little  matters,  that  posterity  may  understand  the 
conventional  feeling  of  the  colony,  on  such  points. 

When  everything  was  ready,  we  had  to  listen  to  much 
good  advice  from  our  friends,  previously  to  launching  our 
selves  into  the  world.  What  Col.  Pollock  said  to  Dirck, 
the  latter  never  told  me  j  but  the  following  was  pretty  much 


SATANSTOE.  147 

the  form  and  substance  of  that  which  I  received  from  my 
own  father — the  interview  taking  place  in  a  little  room  he 
called  his  "  office ;"  or  "  study,"  as  Jason  used  to  term  it. 

"  Here,  Corny,  are  all  the  bills,  or  invoices,  properly 
made  out,"  my  father  commenced,  handing  me  a  small  sheaf 
of  papers ;  "  and  you  will  do  well  to  consult  them  before 
you  make  any  sales.  Here  are  letters  of  introduction  to 
several  gentlemen  in  the  army,  whose  acquaintance  I  could 
wish  you  to  cultivate.  This,  in  particular,  is  to  my  old 
captain,  Charles  Merrewether,  who  is  now  a  Lt.  Col.,  and 
commands  a  battalion  in  the  Royal  Americans.  You  will 
find  him  of  great  service  to  you  while  you  remain  with  the 
army,  I  make  no  doubt.  Pork,  they  tell  me,  if  of  the  quality 
of  that  you  will  have,  ought  to  bring  three  half  joes,  the 
barrel — and  you  might  ask  that  much.  Should  accident  pro 
cure  you  an  invitation  to  the  table  of  the  Commander-In 
Chief,  as  may  happen  through  Col.  Me  r  re  wether's  friendship 
I  trust  you  will  do  full  credit  to  the  loyalty  of  the  Littlepages 
Ah  !  there 's  the  flour,  too ;  it  ought  to  be  worth  two  half 
joes  the  barrel,  in  times  like  these.  I  have  thrown  in  a 
letter  or  two  to  some  of  the  Schuylers,  with  whom  I  served 
when  of  your  age.  They  are  first-rate  people,  remember, 
and  rank  among  the  highest  families  of  the  colonies ;  full 
of  good  old  Van  Cortlandt  blood,  and  well  crossed  with  the 
Rensselaers.  Should  any  of  them  ask  you  about  the  barrel 
of  tongues,  that  you  will  find  marked  T — " 

"Any  of  whom,  sir ;  the  Schuylers,  the  Cortlandts,  or  the 
Rensselaers  ?" 

"  Poh !  any  of  the  sutlers,  or  contractors,  I  mean,  of 
course.  You  can  tell  them  that  they  were  cured  at  home, 
and  that  you  dare  recommend  them  as  fit  for  the  Com- 
mahder-In-ChiePs  own  table." 

Such  was  the  character  of  my  father's  parting  instruc 
tions.  My  mother  held  a  different  discourse. 

"  Corny,  my  beloved  child,"  she  said ;  "  this  will  be  an 
all-important  journey  to  you.  Not  only  are  you  going  far 
from  home,  but  you  are  going  to  a  part  of  the  country  where 
much  will  be  to  be  seen.  I  hope  you  will  remember  what 
was  promised  for  you,  by  your  sponsors  in  baptism,  and  also 
what  is  owing  to  your  own  good  name,  and  that  of  your 
family.  The  letters  you  take  with  you,  will  probably  in- 


148  8ATANSTOE. 

troduce  you  to  good  company,  and  that  is  a  great  beginning 
to  a  youth.  I  wish  you  to  cultivate  the  society  of  reputable 
females,  Corny.  My  sex  has  great  influence  on  the  con 
duct  of  yours,  at  your  time  of  life,  and  both  your  manners 
and  principles  will  be  aided  by  being  as  much  with  women 
of  character  as  possible." 

"  But,  mother,  if  we  are  to  go  any  distance  with  the 
army,  as  both  my  father  and  Col.  Follock  wish,  it  will  not 
be  in  our  power  to  be  much  in  ladies'  society." 

"  I  speak  of  the  time  you  will  pass  in  and  near  Albany. 
I  do  not  expect  you  will  find  accomplished  women  at  Moose- 
ridge,  nor,  should  you  really  go  any  distance  with  the 
troops,  though  I  see  no  occasion  for  your  going  with  them 
a  single  foot,  since  you  are  not  a  soldier,  do  I  suppose  you 
will  find  many  reputable  women  in  the  camp ;  but,  avail 
yourself  of  every  favourable  opportunity  to  go  into  good 
company.  I  have  procured  a  letter  for  you,  from  a  lady 
of  one  of  the  great  families  of  this  county,  to  Madam  Schuy- 
ler,  who  is  above  all  other  women,  they  tell  me,  in  and 
around  Albany.  Her  you  must  see,  and  I  charge  you,  on 
your  duty,  to  deliver  this  letter.  It  is  possible,  too,  that 
Herman  Mordaunt " 

"  What  of  Herman  Mordaunt  and  Anneke,  mother  ?" 

"I  spoke  only  of  Herman  Mordaunt  himself,  and  did  not 
mention  Anneke,  boy,"  answered  my  mother,  smiling 
'*  though  I  doubt  not  that  the  daughter  is  with  the  father. 
They  left  town  for  Albany,  two  months  since,  my  sister 
Legge  writes  rne,  and  intend  to  pass  the  summer  north.  I 
will  not  deceive  you,  Corny,  so  you  shall  hear  all  that  your 
aunt  has  written  on  the  subject.  In  the  first  place,  she  says 
Herman  Mordaunt  has  gone  on  public  service,  having  an 
especial  appointment  for  some  particular  duty  of  import 
ance,  that  is  private,  but  which  it  is  known  will  detain  him 
near  Albany,  and  among  the  northern  posts,  until  the  close 
of  the  season,  though  he  gives  out  to  the  world,  he  is  absent 
on  account  of  some  land  he  has  in  Albany  county.  His 
daughter  and  Mary  Wallace  are  with  him,  with  several  ser 
vants,  and  they  have  taken  up  with  them  a  sleigh-load  of 
conveniences ;  that  looks  like  remaining.  Now,  you  ought 
to  hear  the  rest,  my  child,  though  I  feel  no  apprehension 
when  such  a  youth  as  yourself  is  put  in  competition  with 


SATANSTOE.  149 

any  other  man  in  the  colony.  Yes,  though  your  own  mo 
ther,  I  think  I  may  say  that  /" 

"What  is  it,  mother? — never  mind  me;  I  shall  do  well 
enough,  depend  on  it — that  is — but  what  is  it,  dear  mother?" 

"  Why,  your  aunt  says,  it  is  whispered  among  a  few  in 
town,  a  very  few  only,  but  whispered,  that  Herman  Mor- 
daunt  got  the  appointment  named,  merely  that  he  might 

have  a  pretence  for  taking  Anneke  near  the  th,  in 

which  regiment  it  seems  there  is  a  baronet's  son,  who  is  a 
sort  of  relative  of  his,  and  whom  he  wishes  to  marry  to 
Anneke." 

"  I  am  sorry,  then,  that  my  aunt  Legge  list-ens  to  any 
such  unworthy  gossip  !"  I  indignantly  cried.  "  My  life  on 
it,  Anneke  Mordaunt  never  contemplated  so  indelicate  a 
thing !" 

"  No  one  supposes  Anneke  does,  or  did.  But  fathers  are 
not  daughters,  Corny ;  no,  nor  mothers  neither,  as  I  can 
freely  say,  seeing  you  are  my  only  child.  Herman  Mor 
daunt  may  imagine  all  this  in  his  heart,  and  Anneke  be 
every  thing  that  is  innocent  and  delicate." 

"  And  how  can  my  aunt  Legge's  informants  know  what 
is  in  Herman  Mordaunt's  heart?" 

"  How  ? — I  suppose  they  judge  by  what  they  find  in  their 
own,  my  son  ;  a  common  means  of  coming  at  a  neighbour's 
failings,  though  I  believe  virtues  are  rarely  detected  by  the 
same  process." 

"  Ay,  and  judge  of  others  by  themselves.  The  means 
may  be  common,  mother,  but  they  are  not  infallible." 

"  Certainly  not,  Corny,  and  that  will  be  a  ground  of 
hope  to  you.  Remember,  my  child,  you  can  bring  me  no 
daughter  I  shall  love  half  as  well  as  I  feel  I  can  love 
Anneke  Mordaunt.  We  are  related  too,  her  father's  great- 
great-grandmother " 

"Never  mind  the  great-great-grandmother,  my  dear, 
good,  excellent,  parent.  After  this  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
have  any  secret  from  you.  Unless  Anneke  Mordaunt  con 
sent  to  be  your  daughter,  you  will  never  have  one." 

"  Do  not  say  that,  Corny,  I  beseech    you,"   cried    my 

mother,  a  good  deal  frightened.     u  Remember  there  is  no 

accounting  for  tastes ;  the  army  is  a  formidable  rival,  and, 

after  all,  this  Mr.  Bulstrode,  I  think  you  call  him,  may  prove 

13* 


150  SATANSTOE. 

as  acceptable  to  Anneke  as  to  her  father.  Do  not  say  so 
cruel  a  thing,  I  entreat  of  you,  dearest,  dearest,  Corny." 

"It  is  not  a  minute,  mother,  since  you  said  how  little  you 
apprehended  for  me,  when  opposed  by  any  other  man  in  the 
province !" 

"  Yes,  child,  but  that  is  a  very  different  thing  from  seeing 
you  pass  all  your  days  as  a  heartless,  comfortless  old 
bachelor.  There  are  fifty  young  women  in  this  very 
county,  I  could  wish  to  see  you  united  to,  in  preference  to 
witnessing  such  a  calamity." 

"  Well,  mother,  we  will  say  no  more  about  it.  But  is  it 
true  that  Mr.  Worden  actually  intends  to  be  of  our  party  ?" 

"  Both  Mr.  Worden  and  Mr.  Newcome,  I  believe.  We 
shall  scarcely  know  how  to  spare  the  first,  but  he  conceives 
he  has  a  call  to  accompany  the  army,  in  which  there  are 
so  few  chaplains ;  and  souls  are  called  to  their  last  dread 
account  so  suddenly  in  war,  that  one  does  riot  know  how  to 
refuse  to  let  him  go." 

My  poor,  confiding  mother !  WThen  I  look  back  at  the 
past,  and  remember  the  manner  in  which  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Worden  discharged  the  duties  of  his  sacred  office  during 
the  campaign  that  succeeded,  I  cannot  but  smile  at  the 
manner  in  which  confidence  manifests  itself  in  woman. 
The  sex  has  a  natural  disposition  to  place  their  trusts  in 
priests,  by  a  very  simple  process  of  transferring  their  own 
dispositions  to  the  bosoms  of  those  they  believe  set  apart 
for  purely  holy  objects.  Well,  we  live  and  learn.  I  dare 
say  that  many  are  what  they  profess  to  be,  but  I  have  lived 
long  enough  now  to  know  all  are  not.  As  for  Mr.  Worden, 
he  had  one  good  point  about  him,  at  any  rate.  His  friends 
and  his  enemies  saw  the  worst  of  him.  He  was  no  hypo 
crite,  but  his  associates  saw  the  man  very  much  as  he  was. 
Still,  I  am  far  from  wishing  to  hold  up  this  imported  minis 
ter  as  a  model  of  Christian  graces  for  my  descendants  to 
admire.  No  one  can  be  more  convinced  than  myself  how 
much  sectarians  are  prone  to  substitute  their  own  narrow 
notions  of  right  and  wrong  for  the  Law  of  God,  confound 
ing  acts  that  are  perfectly  innocent  in  themselves  with  sin ; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  I  am  quite  aware  too,  that  appear 
ances  are  ever  to  be  consulted  in  cases  of  morals,  and  that 
it  is  a  minor  virtue  to  be  decent  in  matters  of  manners. 


SATANSTOE.  151 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Worden,  whatever  might  have  been  his  posi 
tion  as  to  substantiate,  certainly  carried  the  external  of 
liberality  to  the  verge  of  indiscretion. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  conversation  I  have  related,  our 
party  left  Satanstoe,  with  some  eclat.  The  team  belonged 
equally  to  the  Pollocks  and  the  Littlepages,  one  horse  being 
the  property  of  my  father,  while  the  other  belonged  to  Col. 
Follock.  The  sleigh,  an  old  one  new  painted  for  the  occa 
sion,  was  the  sole  property  of  the  latter  gentleman,  and  was 
consigned,  in  mercantile  phrase,  to  Dirck,  in  order  to  be 
disposed  of  as  soon  as  we  should  reach  the  end  of  our 
journey.  On  its -exterior  it  was  painted  a  bright  sky-blue, 
while  its  interior  was  of  vermilion,  a  colour  that  was  and 
is  much  in  vogue  for  this  species  of  vehicle,  inasmuch  as  it 
carries  with  it  the  idea  of  warmth  ;  so,  at  least,  the  old  peo 
ple  say,  though  I  will  confess  I  never  found  my  toes  any 
less  cold  in  a  sleigh  thus  painted,  than  in  one  painted  blue, 
which  is  usually  thought  a  particularly  cold  colour  to  the 
feet. 

We  had  three  buffalo-skins,  or,  rather,  two  buffalo  (bison) 
skins  and  one  bear-skin.  The  last,  being  trimmed  with 
scarlet  cloth,  had  a  particularly  warm  and  comfortable  ap 
pearance.  The  largest  skin  was  placed  on  the  hind-seat, 
and  thrown  over  the  back  of  the  sleigh,  as  a  matter  of 
course  ;  and,  though  this  back  was  high  enough  to  break 
off  the  wind  from  our  heads  and  necks,  the  skin  not  only 
covered  it,  but  it  hung  two  or  three  feet  down  behind,  as  is 
becoming  in  a  gentleman's  sleigh.  The  other  buffalo  was 
spread  in  the  bottom  of  the  sleigh,  as  a  carpet  for  all  four, 
leaving  an  apron  to  come  in  front  upon  Dirck's  and  my  lap, 
as  a  protection  against  the  cold  in  that  quarter.  The  bear 
skin  formed  a  cushion  for  us  in  front,  and  an  apron  for  Mr. 
Worden  and  Jason,  who  sat  behind.  Our  trunks  had  gone 
on  the  lumber  sleighs,  that  is,  mine  and  Dirck's  had  thus 
been  sent,  while  our  two  companions  found  room  for  theirs 
in  the  conveyance  in  which  we  went  ourselves. 

It  was  March  1st,  1758,  the  morning  we  left  Satanstoe, 
on  this  memorable  excursion.  The  winter  had  proved  as 
was  common  in  our  latitude,  though  there  had  been  more 
enow  along  the  coast  than  was  usual.  Salt  air  and  snow  do 
Dot  agree  well  together;  but  I  had  driven  in  a  sleigh  over 


152  SATANSTOE. 

the  Neck,  most  of  the  .month  of  February,  though  thero 
were  symptoms  of  a  thaw,  and  of  a  southerly  wind,  the  day 
we  left  home.  My  father  observed  this,  and  he  advised  me 
to  take  the  road  through  the  centre  of  the  county,  and  get 
among  the  hills,  as  soon  as  possible.  Not  only  was  there 
always  more  snow  in  that  part  of  the  country,  but  it  resisted 
the  influence  of  a  thaw  much  longer  than  that  which  had 
fallen  near  the  sea  or  Sound.  I  got  my  mother's  last  kiss, 
my  father's  last  shake  of  the  hand,  my  grandfather's  bless 
ing,  stepped  into  the  sleigh,  took  the  reins  from  Dirck,  and 
drove  off. 

A  party  in  a  sleigh  must  be  composed- of  a  very  sombre 
sort  of  persons,  if  it  be  not  a  merry  one.  In  our  case, 
everybody  was  disposed  to  good-humour;  though  Jason 
could  not  pass  along  the  highway,  in  York  Colony,  without 
giving  vent  to  his  provincial,  Connecticut  hypercriticism. 
Everything  was  Dutch,  according  to  his  view  of  matters ; 
and  when  it  failed  of  being  Dutch,  why,  it  was  York-Colony. 
The  doors  were  not  in  the  right  places ;  the  windows  were 
too  large,  when  they  were  not  too  small ;  things  had  a  cab 
bage-look  ;  the  people  smelt  of  tobacco  ;  and  hasty-pudding 
was  called  "  suppaan."  But  these  were  trifles ;  and  being 
used  to  them,  nobody  paid  much  attention  to  what  our  puri 
tanical  neighbour  saw  fit  to  pour  out,  in  the  humility  and 
meekness  of  his  soul.  Mr.  Worden  chuckled,  and  urged 
Jason  on,  in  the  hope  of  irritating  Dirck  ;  but  Dirck  smoked 
through  it  all,  with  an  indifference  that  proved  how  much 
he  really  despised  the  critic.  I  was  the  only  one  who  re 
sented  this  supercilious  ignorance ;  but  even  I  was  oftea 
more  disposed  to  laugh  than  to  be  angry. 

The  signs  of  a  thaw  increased,  as  we  got  a  few  miles 
from  home ;  and  by  the  time  we  reached  White  Plains,  the 
"south  wind"  did  not  blow  "softly,"  but  freshly,  and  the 
snow  in  the  road  became  sloppy,  and  rills  of  water  were 
seen  running  down  the  hill-sides,  in  a  way  that  menaced 
destruction  to  the  sleighing.  On  we  drove,  however,  and 
deeper  and  deeper  we  got  among  the  hills,  until  we  found 
not  only  more  snow,  but  fewer  symptoms  of  immediately 
losing  it.  Our  first  day's  work  carried  us  well  into  the 
manor  of  the  Van  Cortlandts,  where  we  passed  the  night. 
Next  morning  the  south  wind  was  still  blowing,  sweeping 


8ATANSTOE.  153 

over  the  fields  of  snow,  charged  with  the  salt  air  of  the 
ocean  ;  and  bare  spots  began  to  show  themselves  on  all  the 
acclivities  and  hill-sides — an  admonition  for  us  to  be  stirring. 
We  breakfasted  in  the  Highlands,  and  in  a  wild  and  retired 
part  of  them,  though  in  a  part  where  snow  and  beaten  roads 
were  still  to  be  found.  We  had  escaped  from  the  thaw,  and 
no  longer  felt  any  uneasiness  on  the  subject  of  reaching  the 
end  of  our  journey  on  runners. 

The  second  day  brought  us  fairly  through  the  mountains, 
out  on  the  plains  of  Dutchess,  permitting  us  to  sup  at  Fish- 
kill.  This  was  a  thriving  settlement,  the  people  appearing 
to  me  to  live  in  abundance,  as  certainly  they  did  in  peace 
and  quiet.  They  made  little  of  the  war,  and  asked  us  many 
questions  concerning  the  army,  its  commanders,  its  force 
and  its  objects.  They  were  a  simple,  and  judging  from 
appearances,  an  honest  people,  who  troubled  themselves  very 
little  with  what  was  going  on  in  the  world. 

After  quitting  Fishkill  we  found  a  great  change,  not  only 
m  the  country,  but  in  the  weather.  The  first  was  level,  as 
a  whole,  and  was  much  better  settled  than  I  could  have 
believed  possible  so  far  in  the  interior.  As  for  the  weather, 
it  was  quite  a  different  climate  from  that  we  had  left  below 
the  highlands.  Not  only  was  the  morning  cold,  cold  as  it 
had  been  a  month  earlier  with  us,  but  the  snow  still  lay  two 
or  three  feet  in  depth  on  a  level,  and  the  sleighing  was  as 
good  as  heart  could  wish. 

That  afternoon  we  overtook  Yaap  and  the  brigade  of 
lumber-sleighs.  Everything  had  gone  right,  and  after  giving 
the  fellow  some  fresh  instructions,  I  passed  him,  proceeding 
on  our  route.  This  parting  did  not  take  place,  however, 
until  the  following  had  been  uttered  between  us : 

"  Well,  Yaap."  I  inquired,  as  a  sort  of  close  to  the  pre 
vious  discourse,  "  how  do  you  like  the  upper  counties?" 

A  loud  negro  laugh  succeeded,  and  a  repetition  of  th* 
question  was  necessary  to  extort  an  answer. 

"  Lor',  Masser  Corny,  how  you  t'irik  1  know,  when  dere 
not'in  but  snow  to  be  seen !" 

"  There  was  plenty  of  snow  in  WestcUester ;  yet,  I  dare 
say  you  could  give  some  opinion  of  our  own  county !" 

"  'Cause  I  know  him,  sah  ;  inside  and  out,  and  all  ovei 
Masser  Corny." 


154  SATANSTOE. 

"  Well ;  but  you  can  see  the  houses,  and  orchards,  and 
barns,  and  fences,  and  other  things  of  that  sort." 

"  'Em  pretty  much  like  our'n,  Masser  Corny ;  why  you 
bother  nigger  with  sich  question  ?" 

Here  another  burst  of  loud,  hearty  "yah — yah — yaha 
succeeded  ;  and  Yaap  had  his  laugh  out  before  another  word 
could  be  got  out  of  him,  when  I  put  the  question  a  third 
time. 

"  Well,  den,  Masser  Corny,  sin'  you  will  know,  dis  is  my 
mind.  Dis  country  is  oncomparable  wid  our  ole  county 
sah.  De  houses  seem  mean,  de  barns  look  empty,  de  fences 
be  low,  and  de  niggers,  ebbery  one  of  'em,  look  cold,  sah — 
yes,  sah — 'ey  look  berry  cold  !" 

As  a  "  cold  negro"  was  a  most  pitiable  object  in  negro 
eyes,  I  saw  by  this  summary  that  Yaap  had  commenced  his 
travels  in  much  of  the  same  temper  of  superciliousness  as 
Jason  Newcome.  It  struck  me  as  odd  at  the  time ;  but, 
since  that  day,  I  have  ascertained  that  this  feeling  is  a  very 
general  travelling  companion  for  those  who  set  out  on  their 
first  journey. 

We  passed  our  third  night  at  a  small  hamlet  called  Rhine- 
beck,  in  a  settlement  in  which  many  German  names  were 
to  be  found.  Here  we  were  travelling  through  the  vast 
estates  of  the  Livingstons,  a  name  well-known  in  our  colo 
nial  history.  We  breakfasted  at  Claverack,  and  passed 
through  a  place  called  Kinderhook — a  village  of  Low  Dutch 
origin,  and  of  some  antiquity.  That  night  we  succeeded  in 
coming  near  Albany,  by  making  a  very  hard  day's  drive  of 
it.  There  was  no  village  at  the  place  where  we  slept ;  but 
the  house  was  a  comfortable,  and  exceedingly  neat  Dutch 
tavern.  After  quitting  Fishkill  we  had  seen  more  or  less  of 
the  river,  until  we  passed  Claverack,  where  we  took  our 
leave  of  it.  It  was  covered  with  ice,  and  sleighs  were 
moving  about  it,  with  great  apparent  security ;  but  we  did 
not  like  to  try  it.  Our  whole  party  preferred  a  solid  high 
way,  in  which  there  was  no  danger  of  the  bottom's  dropping 
out. 

As  we  were  now  about  to  enter  Albany,  the  second  larg 
est  town  in  the  colony  and  one  of  the  largest  inland  towns 
of  the  whole  country,  if  such  a  word  can  properly  be  given 
to  a  place  that  lies  on  a  navigable  river,  it  was  thought  ne« 


SATANSTOE.  155 

eessary  to  make  some  few  arrangements,  in  order  to  do  it 
decently.  Instead  of  quitting  the  tavern  at  daylight,  there 
fore,  as  had  been  our  practice  previously,  we  remained 
until  after  breakfast,  having  recourse  to  our  trunks  in  the 
mean  time.  Dirck,  Jason  and  myself,  had  provided  our 
selves  with  fur  caps  for  the  journey,  with  ear-laps  and  other 
contrivances  for  keeping  oneself  warm.  The  cap  of  Dirck, 
and  my  own,  were  of  very  fine  martens'  skins,  and  as  they 
were  round  and  high,  and  each  was  surmounted  with  a 
handsome  tail,  that  Tell  down  behind,  they  had  both  a  smart 
and  military  air.  I  thought  I  had  never  seen  Dirck  look  so 
nobly  and  well,  as  he  did  in  his  cap,  and  I  got  a  few  com 
pliments  on  my  own  air  ia  mine,  though  they  were  only 
from  my  mother,  who,  I  do  think,  would  feel  disposed  to 
praise  me,  even  if  I  looked  wretchedly.  The  cap  of  Jason 
was  better  suited  to  his  purse,  being  lower,  and  of  fox-skins, 
though  it  had  a  tail  also.  Mr.  Worden  had  declined  tra 
velling  in  a  cap,  as  unsuited  to  his  holy  office.  Accordingly 
he  wore  his  clerical  beaver,  which  differed  a  little  from  the 
ordinary  cocked-hats,  that  we  all  wore  as  a  matter  of  course, 
though  not  so  much  so  as  to  be  very  striking. 

All  of  us  had  over-coats  well  trimmed  with  furs,  mine 
*nd  Dirck's  being  really  handsome,  with  trimmings  of  mar 
ten,  while  those  of  our  companion  were  less  showy  and 
expensive.  On  a  consultation,  Dirck  and  I  decided  that  it 
was  better  taste  to  enter  the  town  in  traveller's  dresses,  than 
to  enter  it  in  any  other,  and  we  merely  smartened  up  a  lit- 
de,  in  order  to  appear  as  gentlemen.  The  case  was  very 
different  with  Jason.  According  to  his  idea  a  man  should 
wear  his  best  clothes  on  a  journey,  and  I  was  surprised  to 
see  him  appear  at  breakfast,  in  black  breeches,  striped 
woollen  stockings,  large  plated  buckles  in  his  shoes,  and  a 
coat  that  I  well  knew  he  religiously  reserved  for  high-days 
and  holidays.  This  coat  was  of  a  light  pea-green  colour, 
and  but  little  adapted  to  the  season  ;  but  Jason  had  not  much 
notion  of  the  fitness  of  things,  in  general,  in  matters  of  taste. 
Dirck  and  myself  wore  our  ordinary  snuff-coloured  coats, 
under  our  furs ;  but  Jason  threw  aside  all  the  overcoats, 
when  we  came  near  Albany,  in  order  to  enter  the  place  in 
his  best.  Fortunately  for  him,  the  day  was  mild,  and  there 
was  a  bright  sun  to  send  its  warm  rays  through  the  pea- 


156  SATANSTOE. 

green  covering,  to  keep  his  blood  from  chilling.  As  fbf 
Mr.  Worden,  he  wore  a  cloak  of  black  cloth,  laying  aside 
all  the  furs,  but  a  tippet  and  muff,  both  of  which  he  used 
habitually  in  cold  weather. 

In  this  guise,  then,  we  left  the  tavern,  about  nine  in  the- 
morning,  expecting  to  reach  the  banks  of  the  river  about 
ten.  Nor  were  we  disappointed ;  the  roads  being  excellent, 
a  light  fall  of  snow  having  occurred  in  the  night,  to  freshen 
the  track.  It  was  an  interesting  moment  to  us  all,  when 
the  spires  and  roofs  of  that  ancient  town,  Albany,  first  ap 
peared  in  view  !  We  had  journeyed  from  near  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  co-tony,  to  a  place  that  stood  at  no  great  dis 
tance  from  its  frontier  settlements  on  the  north.  The  town  itself 
formed  a  pleasing  object,  as  we  approached  it,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Hudson.  There  it  lay,  stretching  along  the  low 
land  on  the  margin  of  the  stream,  and  on  its  western  bank, 
sheltered  by  high  hills,  up  the  side  of  which,  the  principai 
street  extended,  for  the  distance  of  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 
Near  the  head  of  this  street  stood  the  fort,  and  we  saw  a 
brigade  paraded  in  the  open  ground  near  it,  wheeling  and 
marching  about.  The  spires  of  two  churches  were  visible, 
one,  the  oldest,  being  seated  on  the  low  land,  in  the  heart 
of  the  place,  and  the  other  on  the  height  at  no  great  dis 
tance  from  the  fort;  or  about  half-way  up  the  acclivity, 
which  forms  the  barrier  to  the  inner  country,  on  that  side 
of  the  river.  Both  these  buildings  were  of  stone,  of  course, 
shingle  tenements  being  of  very  rare  occurrence  in  the 
colony  of  New  York,  though  common  enough  further  east.* 

*  In  nothing  was  the  difference  of  character  between  the  people  of 
New  England,  and  those  of  the  middle  colonies,  more  apparent  than 
in  the  nature  of  the  dwellings.  In  New  York,  for  instance,  men  worth 
thousands  dwelt  in  humble,  low,  (usually  one  story)  dwellings  of  stone, 
having  window-shutters,  frequently  within  as  well  as  without,  and  the 
other  appliances  of  comfort;  whereas  the  farmer  farther  east,  was  sel 
dom  satisfied,  though  his  means  were  limited,  unless  he  lived  in  a 
house  as  good  as  his.  neighbour's ;  and  the  strife  dotted  the  whole  of 
their  colonies  with  wooden  buildings,  of  great  pretension  for  the  age, 
that  rarely  had  even  exterior  shutters,  and  which  frequently  stood  for 
generations  unfinished.  The  difference  was  not  of  Dutch  origin,  for 
it  was  just  as  apparent  in  New  Jersey  or  Pennsylvania  as  in  New 
York,  and  I  think  it  may  be  attributed  to  a  very  obvious  consequence 
of  a  general  equality  of  condition,  a  state  of  society  in  which  no  one  n 


SATANSTOE,  157 

I  will  own  that  not  one  of  our  party  liked  the  idea  of 
crossing  the  Hudson,  in  a  loaded  sleigh,  on  the  ice,  and  thai 
in  the  month  of  March.  There  were  no  streams  about  us 
to  be  crossed  in  this  mode,  nor  was  the  cold  exactly  suffi 
cient  to  render  such  a  transit  safe,  and  we  felt  as  the  inex 
perienced  would  be  apt  to  feel  in  circumstances  so  unplea 
sant.  I  must  do  Jason  the  credit  to  admit  that  he  showed 
more  plain,  practical,  good  sense  than  any  of  us,  determi 
ning  our  course  in  the  end  by  his  view  of  the  matter.  As 
for  Mr.  Worden,  however,  nothing  could  induce  him  to 
venture  on  the  ice  in  a  sleigh,  or  near  a  sleigh,  though  Jason 
remonstrated  in  the  following  terms — 

"Now,  look  here,  Rev.  Mr.  Worden"  —  Jason  seldom 
omitted  anybody's  title — "  you  've  only  to  turn  your  eyes 
on  the  river  to  see  it  is  dotted  with  sleighs,  far  and  near. 
There  are  highways  north  and  south,  and  if  that  be  the 
place,  where  the  crossing  is  at  the  town,  it  is  more  like  a 
thoroughfare  than  a  spot  that  is  risky.  In  my  judgment, 
these  people  who  live  hereabouts  ought  to  know  whether 
there  is  any  danger  or  not." 

Obvious  as  was  this  truth,  '  Rev.  Mr.  Worden'  made  us 
stop  on  terra  firma,  and  permit  him  to  quit  the  sleigh,  that 
he  might  cross  the  river  on  foot.  Jason  ventured  a  hint  or 
two  about  faith  and  its  virtues,  as  he  stripped  himself  to  the 
pea-green,  in  order  to  enter  the  town  in  proper  guise, 
throwing  aside  everything  that  concealed  his  finery.  As 
for  Dirck  and  myself,  we  kept  our  seats  manfully,  and  trot 
ted  on  the  river  at  the  point  where  we  saw  sleighs  and  foot- 
passengers  going  and  coming  in  some  numbers.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Worden,  however,  was  not  content  to  take  the  beaten 
path,  for  he  knew  there  was  no  more  security  in  being  out 
on  the  ice,  near  a  sleigh,  than  there  was  in  being  in  it,  so 
he  diverged  from  the  road,  which  crossed  at  the  ferry, 
striking  diagonally  atwhart  the  river  towards  the  wharves 
of  the  place. 

It  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  sort  of  a  holiday  among  the 
young  and  idle,  one  sleigh  passing  us  after  another,  filled 

content  to  wear  even  the  semblance  of  poverty,  but  those  who  cannot 
by  any  means  prevent  it ;  but,  in  which  all  strive  to  get  as  high  as  pos 
sible,  in  appearances  at  least. — EDITOR. 

14 


158  SATANSTOE 

with  young  men  and  maidens,  all  sparkling  with  the  ex 
citement  of  the  moment,  and  gay  with  youth  and  spirits. 
We  passed  no  less  than  four  of  these  sleighs  on  the  river, 
the  jingling  of  the  bells,  the  quick  movement,  the-  laughter 
and  gaiety,  and  the  animation  of  the  whole  scene,  far  ex 
ceeding  anything  of  the  sort  I  had  ever  before  witnessed. 
We  were  nearly  across  the  river,  when  a  sleigh  more  hand 
somely  equipped  than  any  we  had  yet  seen,  dashed  down 
the  bank,  and  came  whirling  past  us  like  a  comet.  It  was 
full  of  ladies,  with  the  exception  of  one  gentleman,  who 
stood  erect  in  front,  driving.  I  recognised  Bulstrode,  in  furs 
like  all  of  us,  capped  and  tailed,  if  not  plumed,  while 
among  the  half-dozen  pairs  of  brilliant  eyes  that  were 
turned  with  their  owner's  smiling  faces  on  us,  I  saw  one 
which  never  could  be  forgotten  by  me,  that  belonged  to 
Anneke  Mordaunt.  I  question  if  we  were  recognised,  for 
the  passage  was  like  that  of  a  meteor ;  but  I  could  not  avoid 
turning  to  gaze  after  the  gay  party.  This  change  of 
position  enabled  me  to  be  a  witness  of  a  very  amusing  con 
sequence  of  Mr.  Worden's  experiment.  A  sleigh  was  coming 
in  our  direction,  and  the  party  in  it  seeing  one  who  was 
known  for  a  clergyman,  walking  on  the  ice,  turned  aside 
and  approached  him  on  a  gallop,  in  order  to  offer  the 
courtesy  of  a  seat  to  a  man  of  his  sacred  profession.  Our 
divine  heard  the  bells,  and  fearful  of  having  a  sleigh  so 
near  him,  he  commenced  a  downright  flight,  pursued  by  the 
people  in  the  sleigh,  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  follow. 
Everybody  on  the  ice  pulled  up  to  gaze  in  wonder  at  this 
strange  spectacle,  until  the  whole  party  reached  the  shore, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  pretty  well  blown,  as  the  reader  may 
suppose. 


SATANSTOE.  159 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Bid  physicians  talk  our  veins  to  temper, 
And  with  an  argument  new-set  a  pulse, 
Then  think,  my  lord,  of  reasoning  unto  love. 

Youiro. 

As  the  road  from  the  ferry  into  the  town  ran  along  the 
bank  of  the  river,  we  reached  the  point  where  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Worden  had  landed  precisely  at  the  same  instant  with  his 
pursuers,  who  had  been  obliged  to  make  a  little  circuit,  in 
order  to  get  off  the  ice.  I  do  not  know  which  party  re 
garded  the  other  in  the  greatest  astonishment, — the  hunted, 
or  the  hunters.  The  sleigh  had  in  it  two  fine-looking 
young  fellows,  that  spoke  English  with  a  slight  Dutch 
accent,  and  three  young  women,  whose  bright  coal-black 
eyes  betokened  surprise  a  little  mitigated  by  a  desire  to 
laugh.  Seeing  that  we  were  all  strangers,  I  suppose,  and 
that  we  claimed  the  runaway  as  belonging  to  our  party, 
one  of  the  young  men  raised  his  cap  very  respectfully,  and 
opened  the  discourse  by  asking  in  a  very  civil  tone — 

"  What  ails  the  reverent  gentleman,  to  make  him  run  so 
fast?" 

"  Run !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Worden,  whose  lungs  had  been 
playing  like  a  blacksmith's  bellows  —  "Run!  and  who 
would  not  run  to  save  himself  from  being  drowned  ?" 

"  Drowned !"  repeated  the  young  Dutchman,  looking 
round  at  the  river,  as  if  to  ascertain  whether  the  ice  were 
actually  moving — "  why  does  the  Dominie  suppose  thero 
Was  any  danger  of  that .?" 

As  Mr.  Worden's  bellows  were  still  hard  at  work,  I  ex 
plained  to  the  young  Albanians  that  we  were  strangers  just 
arrived  from  the  vicinity  of  New  York ;  that  we  were  un 
accustomed  to  frozen  rivers,  and  had  never  crossed  one  on 
the  ice  before ;  that  our  reverend  companion  had  chosen  to 
walk  at  a  distance  from  the  road,  in  order  to  be  in  less 
danger  should  any  team  break  in,  and  that  he  had  naturally 
run  to  avoid  thsir  sleigh  when  he  saw  it  approaching.  The 
Albanians  heard  this  account  in  respectful  silence,  though  I 


160  SA  TANS  TOE. 

could  see  the  two  young  men  casting  sly  glances  at  each 
other,  and  that  even  the  ladies  had  some  little  difficulty  in 
altogether  suppressing  their  smiles.  When  it  was  through, 
the  oldest  of  the  Dutchmen — a  fine,  dare-devil,  roystering- 
looking  fellow  of  four  or  five-and-twenty,  whose  dress  and 
mien,  however,  denoted  a  person  of  the  upper  class, — begged 
a  thousand  pardons  for  his  mistake,  quitting  his  sleigh  and 
insisting  on  having  the  honours  of  shaking  hands  with  the 
whole  of  us.  His  name  was  '  Ten  Eyck,'  he  said  ;'  *  Guert 
Ten  Eyck,'  and  he  asked  permission,  as  we  were  strangers, 
of  doing  the  honour  of  Albany  to  us.  Everybody  in  the 
place  knew  him,  which,  as  we  afterwards  ascertained,  was 
true  enough,  for  he  had  just  as  much  reputation  for  fun  and 
frolic  as  at  all  comported  with  respectability;  keeping  along, 
as  it  were,  on  the  very  verge  of  the  pale  of  reputable  peo 
ple,  without  being  thrown  entirely  out  of  it.  The  young 
females  with  him  were  a  shade  below  his  own  natural  posi 
tion  in  society,  tolerating  his  frolics  on  account  of  this  cir 
cumstance,  aided  as  it  was  by  a  singularly  manly  face  and 
person,  a  hearty  and  ready  laugh,  a  full  purse,  and  possibly 
by  the  secret  hope  of  being  the  happy  individual  who  was 
designed  by  Providence  to  convert «  a  reformed  rake  into  the 
best  of  husbands.'  In  a  word,  he  was  always  welcome  with 
them,  when  those  a  little  above  them  felt  more  disposed  to 
frown. 

Of  course,  all  this  was  unknown  to  us  at  the  time,  and 
we  accepted  Guert  Ten  Eyck's  proffers  of  civility  in  the 
spirit  in  which  they  were  offered.  He  inquired  at  what 
tavern  we  intended  to  stop,  and  promised  an  early  call. 
Then,  shaking  us  all  round  by  the  hand  again  with  great 
cordiality,  he  took  his  leave.  His  companion  doffed  a  very 
dashing,  high,  wolf-skin  cap  to  us,  and  the  black-eyed  trio, 
on  the  hind  seat,  smiled  graciously,  and  away  they  drove  at 
a  furious  rate,  startling  all  the  echoes  of  Albany  with  their 
bells.  By  this  time  Mr.  Worden  was  seated,  and  we  fol 
lowed  more  moderately,  our  team  having  none  of  the  Dutch 
courage  of  a  pair  of  horses  fresh  from  the  stable.  Such 
were  the  circumstances  under  which  we  made  our  entrance 
into  the  ancient  city  of  Albany.  We  were  all  in  hopes,  the 
little  affair  of  the  chase  would  soon  be  forgotten,  for  no  one 
likes  to  be  associated  with  a  ridiculous  circumstance ,  but 


8ATANSTOE. 


161 


we  counted  without  our  host.  Guert  Ten  Eyck  was  not  of 
a  temperament  to  let  such  an  affair  sleep,  but,  as  I  after 
wards  ascertained,  he  told  it  with  the  laughing  embellish 
ments  that  belonged  to  his  reckless  character,  until,  in  turn, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  came  to  be  known,  throughout  all  that 
region,  by  the  nickname  of  the  "  Loping  Dominie." 

The  reader  may  be  assured  our  eyes  were  about  us,  as 
we  drove  through  the  streets  of  the  second  town  in  the 
colony.  We  were  not  unaccustomed  to  houses  constructed 
in  the  Dutch  style,  in  New  York,  though  the  English  mode 
of  building  had  been  most  in  vogue  there,  for  half  a  century. 
It  was  not  so  with  Albany,  which  remained,  essentially,  a 
Dutch  town,  in  1758.  We  heard  little  beside  Dutch,  as  we 
passed  along.  The  women  scolded  their  children  in  Low 
Dutch,  a  use,  by  the  way,  for  which  the  language  appears 
singularly  well  adapted;  the  negroes  sang  Dutch  songs; 
the  men  called  to  each  other  in  Dutch,  and  Dutch  rang  in 
our  ears,  as  we  walked  our  horses  through  the  streets,  to 
wards  the  tavern.  There  were  many  soldiers  about,  and 
other  proofs  of  the  presence  of  a  considerable  military  force 
were  not  wanting ;  still,  the  place  struck  me  as  very  pro 
vincial  and  peculiar,  after  New  York.  Nearly  all  the 
houses  were  built  with  their  gables  to  the  streets,  and  each 
had  heavy  wooden  Dutch  stoops,  with  seats,  at  its  door.  A 
few  had  small  court-yards  in  front,  and,  here  and  there,  was 
a  building  of  somewhat  more  pretension  than  usual.  I  do 
not  think,  however,  there  were  fifty  houses  in  the  place, 
that  were  built  with  their  gables  off  the  line  of  the  streets.* 

We  were  no  sooner  housed,  than  Dirck  and  I  sallied  forth 
to  look  at  the  place.  Here  we  were,  in  one  of  the  oldest 
towns  of  America ;  a  place  that  could  boast  of  much  more 

*  The  population  of  Albany  could  not  have  reached  4000  in  1758. 
Its  Dutch  character  remained  down  to  the  close  of  this  century,  with 
gradual  changes.  The  writer  can  remember  when  quite  as  much 
Dutch  as  English  was  heard  in  the  streets  of  Albany,  though  it  has 
now  nearly  disappeared.  The  present  population  must  be  near 
40,000. 

Mr.  Littlepage's  description  was  doubtless  correct,  at  the  time  he 
wrote ;  but  Albany  would  now  be  considered  a  first-class  country 
town,  in  Europe.  It  has  much  better  claims  to  compare  with  the 
towns  of  the  old  world,  in  this  character,  than  New  York  has  to  com. 
pare  with  their  capitals. — EDITOR. 
14* 


162  SATANSTOE. 

than  a  century's  existence,  and  it  was  natural  to  feel  curicras 
to  look  about  one.  Our  inn  was  in  the  principal  street,— 
that  which  led  up  the  hill  towards  the  fort.  This  street  was 
a  wide  avenue,  that  quite  put  Broadway  out  of  countenance, 
so  far  as  mere  width  was  concerned.  The  streets  that  led 
out  of  it,  however,  were  principally  little  better  than  lanes, 
as  if  the  space  that  had  been  given  to  two  or  three  of  the 
main  streets  had  been  taken  off  of  the  remainder.  The  High 
Street,  as  we  English  would  call  it,  was  occupied  by  sleds 
filled  with  wood  for  .sale ;  sleds  loaded  with  geese,  turkeys, 
tame  and  wild,  and  poultry  of  all  sorts  ;  sleds  with  venison, 
still  in  the  skin,  piled  up  in  heaps,  &c., — all  these  eatables 
being  collected,  in  unusual  quantities  as  we  were  told,  to 
meet  the  extraordinary  demand  created  by  the  different 
military  messes.  Deer  were  no  strangers  to  us ;  for  Long 
Island  was  full  of  all  sorts  of  game,  as  were  the  upper  coun 
ties  of  New  Jersey.  Even  Westchester,  old  and  well 
settled  as  it  had  become,  was  not  yet  altogether  clear  of 
deer,  and  nothing  was  easier  than  to  knock  over  a  buck  in 
the  highlands.  Nevertheless,  I  had  never  seen  venison, 
wild  turkeys  and  sturgeons,  in  such  quantities  as  they  were 
to  be  seen  that  day  in  the  principal  street  of  Albany. 

The  crowd  collected  in  this  street,  the  sleighs  that  were 
whirling  past,  filled  with  young  men  and  maidens,  the  in 
cessant  jingling  of  bells,  the  spluttering  and  jawing  in  Low 
Dutch,  the  hearty  English  oaths  of  Serjeants  and  sutlers'- 
men  and  cooks  of  messes,  the  loud  laughs  of  the  blacks, 
and  the  beauty  of  the.  cold  clear  day,  altogether  produced 
some  such  effect  on  me,  as  I  had  experienced  when  I  went 
to  the  theatre.  Not  the  least  striking  picture  of  the  scene, 
was  Jason,  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  gaping  about  him,  in 
the  cocked-hat,  the  pea-green  coat,  and  the  striped  woollen 
stockings. 

Dirck  and  myself  naturally  examined  the  churches. 
These  were  two,  as  has  been  said  already, — one  for  the 
Dutch,  and  the  other  for  the  English.  The  first  was  the 
oldest.  It  stood  at  the  point  where  the  two  principal  streets 
crossed  each  other,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  street,  leaving 
sufficient  passages  all  round  it.  The  building  was  square, 
with  a  high  pointed  roof,  having  a  belfry  and  weathercock 
on  its  apex ;  windows,  with  diamond  panes  and  painted  glass. 


SATANSTOE.  163 

and  a  porch  that  was  well  suited  both  to  the  climate  and  to 
appearances.* 

We  were  examining  this  structure,  when  Guert  Ten  Eyck" 
accosted  us,  in  his  frank,  off-hand  way — 

"Your  servant,  Mr.  Littlepage;  your  servant,  Mr.  Fol- 
lock,"  he  cried,  again  shaking  each  cordially  by  the  hand. 
"  I  was  on  the  way  to  the  tavern  to  look  you  up,  when  I 
accidentally  saw  you  here.  A  few  gentlemen  of  my  ac 
quaintance,  who  are  in  the  habit  of  supping  together  in  the 
winter  time,  meet  for  the  last  jollification  of  the  season  to 
night,  and  they  have  all  express'!  a  wish  to  have  the  plea 
sure  of  your  company.  I  hope  you  will  allow  me  to  say  you 
will  come?  We  meet  at  nine,  sup  at  ten,  and  break  up 
at  twelve,  quite  regularly,  in  a  very  sedate  and  prudent 
manner." 

There  was  something  so  frank  and  cordial,  so  simple  and 
straight-forward  in  this  invitation,  that  we  did  not  know  how 
to  decline  it.  We  both  knew  that  the  name  of  Ten  Eyck 
was  respectable  in  the  colony ;  our  new  acquaintance  was 
well  dressed,  he  seemed  to  be  in  good  company  when  we 
first  met  him,  his  sleigh  and  horses  had  been  actually  of  a 
more  dashing  stamp  than  usual,  and  his  own  attire  had  all 
the  peculiarities  of  a  gentleman's,  with  the  addition  of  some 
thing  even  more  decided  and  knowing  than  was  common. 
It  is  true,  the  style  of  these  peculiarities  was  not  exactly 
such  as  I  had  seen  in  the  air,  manners  and  personal  decora 
tions  of  those  of  Billings  and  Harris ;  but  they  were  none 
the  less  striking,  and  none  the  less  attractive ;  the  two  Eng 
lishmen  being  "  macaronis,"  from  London,  and  Ten  Eyck 
being  a  "buck"  of  Albany. 

"I  thank  you,  very  heartily,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,"  I  an 
swered,  "  both  for  myself  and  for  my  friend" — 

"  And  will  let  me  come  for  you  at  half-past  eight,  to  show 
you  the  way  ?" 

"  Why,  yes,  sir ;  I  was  about  to  say  as  much,  if  it  be 
not  giving  you  too  much  trouble." 

*  There  were  two  churches,  of  this  character,  built  on  this  spot. 
The  second,  much  larger  than  the  first,  but  of  the  same  form,  was 
built  round  the  other,  in  which  service  was  held  to  the  last,  when  it 
Waa  literally  thrown  out  of  the  windows  of  its  successor.  The  last 
edifice  disappeared  about  forty  years  since. — EDITOR. 


164  8ATANSTOE. 

"  Do  not  speak  of  tr-r-ouple" — this  last  word  will  give  a 
very  good  notion  of  Guert's  accent,  which  I  cannot  stop  to 
imitate  at  all  times  in  writing  —  "and  do  not  say  your 
fr^nt,  but  your  fr^ntz" 

"  As  to  the  two  that  are  not  here,  I  cannot  positively  an 
swer  ;  yonder,  however,  is  one  that  can  speak  for  himself." 

"  I  see  him,  Mr.  Littlepage,  and  will  answer  for  Am,  on 
my  own  account.  Depent  on  it,  lie  will  come.  But  the 
Dominie — he  has  a  hearty  look,  and  can  help  eat  a  turkey 
and  swallow  a  glass  of  goot  Madeira — I  think  I  can  rely 
on.  A  man  cannot  take  all  that  active  exercise  without 
food." 

"  Mr.  Worden  is  a  very  companionable  man,  and  is  ex 
cellent  company  at  a  supper-table.  I  will  communicate 
your  invitation,  and  hope  to  be  able  to  prevail  on  him  to  be 
of  the  party." 

"  T'at  is  enough,  sir,"  returned  Ten  Eyck,  or  Guert,  as  I 
shall  henceforth  call  him,  in  general ;  "  vere  dere  ist  a  vill, 
dere  ist  a  vay."  Guert  frequently  broke  out  in  such  speci 
mens  of  broken  English,  while  at  other  times  he  would 
speak  almost  as  well  as  any  of  us.  "  So  Got  pless  you 
my  dear  Mr.  Littlepage,  and  make  us  lasting  friends.  I 
like  your  countenance,  and  my  eye  never  deceives  me  in 
these  matters." 

Here,  Guert  shook  us  both  by  the  hand  again,  most  cor 
dially,  and  left  us.  Dirck  and  I  next  strolled  up  the  hill, 
going  as  high  as  the  English  church,  which  stood  also  in 
the  centre  of  the  principal  street,  an  imposing  and  massive 
edifice  in  stone.  With  the  exception  of  Mother  Trinity  in 
New  York,  this  was  the  largest,  and  altogether  the  most 
important  edifice  devoted  to  the  worship  of  my  own  church 
I  had  ever  seen.  In  Westchester,  there  were  several  of 
Queen  Anne's  churches,  but  none  on  a  scale  to  compare 
with  this.  Our  small  edifices  were  usually  without  gal 
leries,  steeples,  towers,  or  bells  ;  while  St.  Peter's,  Albany, 
if  not  actually  St.  Peter's,  Rome,  was  a  building  of  which 
a  man  might  be  proud.  A  little  to  our  surprise,  we 
found  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  and  Mr.  Jason  Newcome  had 
met  at  the  door  of  this  edifice,  having  sent  a  boy  to  the 
sexton  in  quest  of  the  key.  In  a  minute  or  two,  the  urchin 
returned,  bringing  not  only  the  key  of  the  church,  but  the 


8ATANSTOE.  165 

excuses  of  the  sexton  for  not  coming  himself.  The  door 
was  opened,  and  we  went  in. 

I  have  always  admired  the  decorous  and  spiritual  manner 
in  which  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  entered  a  building  that  had 
been  consecrated  to  the  services  of  the  Deity.  I  know  not 
how  to  describe  it ;  but  it  proved  how  completely  he  had 
been  drilled  in  the  decencies  of  his  profession.  Off  came 
his  hat,  of  course ;  and  his  manner,  however  facetious  and 
easy  it  may  have  been  the  moment  before,  changed  on  the 
instant  to  gravity  and  decorum.  Not  so  with  Jason.  He 
entered  St.  Peter's,  Albany,  with  exactly  the  same  indiffer 
ent  and  cynical  air  with  which  he  had  seemed  to  regard 
everything  but  money,  since  he  entered  "  York  Colony." 
Usually,  he  wore  his  cocked-hat  on  the  back  of  his  head, 
thereby  lending  himself  a  lolloping,  negligent,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  defying  air ;  but  I  observed  that,  as  we  all  un 
covered,  he  brought  his  own  beaver  up  over  his  eye-brows, 
in  a  species  of  military  bravado.  To  uncover  to  a  church, 
in  his  view  of  the  matter,  was  a  sort  of  idolatry ;  there 
might  be  images  about,  for  anything  he  knew;  "and  a  man 
could  never  be  enough  on  his  guard  ag'in  being  carried 
away  by  such  evil  deceptions,"  as  he  had  once  before  an 
swered  to  a  remonstrance  of  mine,  for  wearing  his  hat  in 
our  own  parish  church. 

I  found  the  interior  of  St.  Peter's  quite  as  imposing  as  its 
exterior.  Three  of  the  pews  were  canopied,  having  coats 
of  arms  on  their  canopies.  These,  the  boy  told  us,  belonged 
to  the  Van  Rensselaer  and  Schuyler  families.  All  these 
were  covered  with  black  cloth,  in  mourning  for  some  death 
in  those  ancient  families,  which  were  closely  allied.  I  was 
very  much  struck  with  the  dignified  air  that  these  patrician 
seats  gave  the  house  of  God.*  There  were  also  several 
hatchments  suspended  against  the  walls ;  some  being  placed 
fhere  in  commemoration  of  officers  of  rank,  from  home,  who 

*  I  cannot  recollect  one  of  these  canopied  pews  that  is  now  stand- 
ing,  in  this  part  of  the  Union.  The  last,  of  my  knowledge,  were  in 
St.  Mark's,  New  York,  and,  I  believe,  belonged  to  the  Stuyvesants , 
the  patron  family  of  that  church.  They  were  taken  down  when 
that  building  was  repaired,  a  few  years  since.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
innocent  of  all  our  innovations  of  this  character.  Distinctions  in  the 
House  of  God  are  opposed  to  the  very  spirit  of  the  Christian  religion ; 
and  it  were  far  more  fitting  that  pews  should  be  altogether  done  away 


166  SATANSTOE. 

had  died  in  the  king's  service  in  the  colony ;  and  others  to 
mark  the  deaths  of  some  of  the  more  distinguished  of  our 
own  people. 

Mr.  Worden  expressed  himself  well  pleased  with  appear 
ances  of  things,  in  and  about  this  building ;  though  Jason 
regarded  all  with  ill-concealed  disgust. 

.  "  What  is  the  meaning  of  them  pews  with  tops  to  them, 
Corny  ?"  the  pedagogue  whispered  me,  afraid  to  encounter 
the  parson's  remarks,  by  his  own  criticism. 

"  They  are  the  pews  of  families  of  distinction  in  this 
place,  Mr.  Newcome;  and  the  canopies,  or  tops,  as  you  call 
them,  are  honourable  signs  of  their  owners'  conditions." 

"  Do  you  think  their  owners  will  sit  under  such  coverings 
in  paradise,  Corny  ?"  continued  Jason,  with  a  sneer. 

"  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  say,  sir ;  it  is  probable,  how 
ever,  the  just  will  not  require  any  such  mark  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  unjust." 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  Jason,  looking  round  and  affecting  to 
count;  "there  are  just  three — Bishop,  Priest,  and  Deacon, 
I  suppose.  Waal,  there's  a  seat  for  each,  and  they  can  be 
comfortable  here,  whatever  may  turn  up  herea'ter." 

I  turned  away,  unwilling  to  dispute  the  point,  for  I  knew 
it  was  as  hopeless  to  expect  that  a  Danbury  man  would  feel 
like  a  New  Yorker,  on  such  a  subject,  as  it  was  to  expect 
that  a  New  Yorker  could  be  made  to  adopt  Danbury  senti 
ments.  As  for  the  argument,  however,  I  have  heard  others 
of  pretty  much  the  same  calibre  often  urged  against  the  three 
orders  of  the  ministry. 

On  quitting  St.  Peter's,  I  communicated  the  invitation  of 
Guert  Ten  Eyck  to  Mr.  Worden,  and  urged  him  to  be  of  the 
party.  I  could  see  that  the  notion  of  a  pleasant  supper  was 
anything  but  unpleasant  to  the  missionary.  Still  he  had 
his  scruples,  inasmuch  as  he  had  not  yet  seen  his  reverend 

with,  the  true  mode  of  assembling  under  the  sacred  roof,  than  that 
men  should  be  classed  even  at  the  foot  of  the  altar. 

It  may  be  questioned  if  a  hatchment  is  now  hung  up,  either  on  the 
dwelling-,  or  in  a  church,  in  any  part  of  America.  They  were  to  be 
Been,  however,  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  Whenever 
any  such  traces  of  ancient  usages  are  met  with  among  us,  by  the 
traveller  from  the  old  world,  he  is  apt  to  mistake  them  for  the  shadows 
**that  coming  events  cast  before,"  instead  of  those  of  the  past.— 
EDITOR. 


8ATANSTOE.  167 

brother  who  had  the  charge  of  St.  Peter's,  did  not  know 
exactly  the  temper  of  his  mind,  and  was  particularly  de 
sirous  of  officiating  for  him,  in  the  presence  of  the  principal 
personages  of  the  place,  on  the  approaching  Sunday.  He 
had  written  a  note  to  the  chaplain ;  for  the  person  who  had 
the  cure  of  the  Episcopalians  held  that  rank  in  the  army, 
St.  Peter's  being  as  much  of  an  official  chapel  as  a  parish 
church ;  and  he  must  have  an  interview  with  that  individual 
before  he  could  decide.  Fortunately,  as  we  descended  the 
street,  towards  our  inn,  we  saw  the  very  person  in  question. 
The  marks  of  the  common  office  that  these  two  divines  bore 
about  their  persons  in  their  dress,  sufficed  to  make  them 
known  to  each  other  at  a  glance.  In  five  minutes,  they  had 
shaken  hands,  heard  each  man's  account  of  himself,  had 
given  and  accepted  the  invitation  to  preach,  and  were  other 
wise  on  free  and  easy  terms.  Mr.  Worden  was  to  dine  in 
the  fort,  with  the  chaplain.  We  then  walked  forward  to 
wards  the  tavern. 

"  By  the  way,  Mr. ,"  said  Mr.  Worden,  in  a  paren 
thesis  of  the  discourse,  "  the  family  of  Ten  Eyck  is  quite 
respectable,  here  in  Albany." 

"Very  much  so,  sir  —  a  family  that  is  held  in  much 
esteem.  I  shall  count  on  your  assisting  me,  morning  and 
evening,  my  dear  Mr.  Worden." 

It  is  surprising  how  the  clergy  do  depend  on  each  other 
for  *  assistance !' 

"  Make  your  arrangements  accordingly,  my  good  brother 
— I  am  quite  fresh,  and  have  brought  a  good  stock  of  ser 
mons  ;  not  knowing  how  much  might  remain  to  be  done  in 
the  army.  Corny,"  in  a  half-whisper,  "  you  can  let  oui 
new  friends  know  that  I  will  sup  with  them  ;  and,  harkee — 
just  drop  a  hint  to  them,  that  I  am  none  of  your  puritans." 

Here,  then,  we  found  everything  in  a  very  fair  way  to 
bring  us  all  out  in  society,  within  the  first  two  hours  of  our 
arrival.  Mr.  Worden  was  engaged  to  preach  the  next  day 
but  one  ;  and  he  was  engaged  to  supper  that  same  day.  All 
looked  promising,  and  I  hurried  on  in  order  to  ascertain  if 
Guert  Ten  Eyck  had  made  his  promised  call.  As  before, 
he  was  met  in  the  street,  and  the  acceptance  of  the  Domi 
nie  was  duly  communicated.  Guert  seemed  highly  pleased 


168  8A.TAHSTOE. 

at  this  success ;  and  he  left  me,  promising  to  be  punctual  to 
his  hour.  In  the  mean  time,  we  had  to  dine. 

The  dinner  proved  a  good  one ;  and,  as  Mr.  Worden 
remarked,  it  was  quite  lucky  that  the  principal  dish  was 
venison,  a  meat  that  was  so  easy  of  digestion,  as  to  promise 
no  great  obstacle  to  the  accommodation  of  the  supper.  He 
should  dine  on  venison,  therefore  ;  and  he  advised  all  three 
of  us  to  follow  his  example.  But,  certain  Dutch  dishes  at 
tracted  the  eye  and  taste  of  Dirck  ;  while  Jason  had  alighted 
on  a  hash,  of  some  sort  or  other,  that  he  did  not  quit  until 
he  had  effectually  disposed  of  it.  As  for  myself,  I  confess, 
the  venison  was  so  much  to  my  taste,  that  I  stuck  by  the 
parson.  We  had  our  wine,  too,  and  left  the  table  early,  in 
order  not  to  interfere  with  the  business  of  the  night. 

After  dinner,  it  was  proposed  to  walk  out  in  a  body,  to 
make  a  further  examination  of  the  place,  and  to  see  if  we 
could  not  fall  in  with  an  army  contractor,  who  might  be  dis 
posed  to  relieve  Dirck  and  myself  of  some  portion  of  our 
charge.  Luck  again  threw  us  in  the  way  of  Guert  Ten 
Eyck,  who  seemed  to  live  in  the  public  street.  In  the 
course  of  a  brief  conversation  that  took  place,  as  a  passing 
compliment,  I  happened  to  mention  a  wish  to  ascertain 
where  one  might  dispose  of  a  few  horses,  and  of  two  or  three 
sleigh-loads  of  flour,  pork,  &c.,  &c. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Littlepage,"  said  Guert,  with  a  frank  smile 
and  a  friendly  shake  of  the  hand,  "  I  am  delighted  that  you 
have  mentioned  these  matters  to  me ;  I  can  take  you  to  the 
very  man  you  wish  to  see  ;  a  heavy  army-contractor,  who 
is  buying  up  everything  of  the  sort  he  can  lay  his  hands 
on." 

Of  course,  I  was  as  much  delighted  as  Guert  could  very 
well  be,  and  left  my  party  to  proceed  at  once  to  the  con 
tractor's  office,  with  the  greatest  alacrity ;  Dirck  accom 
panying  me.  As  we  went  along,  our  new  friend  advised  us 
not  to  be  very  backward  in  the  way  of  price,  since  the  king 
paid,  in  the  long  run. 

"  Rich  dealers  ought  to  pay  well,"  he  added ;  "  and,  I 
can  tell  you,  as  a  useful  thing  to  know,  that  orders  came  on, 
no  later  than  yesterday,  to  buy  up  everything  of  the  sort 
that  offered.  Put  sleigh  and  harness,  at  once,  all  in  a  heap, 
on  the  king's  servants." 


SAT ANSTOE. 


169 


I  thought  the  idea  not  a  bad  one,  and  promised  to  profit 
by  it.  Guert  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  I  was  properly 
introduced  to  the  contractor.  My  business  was  no  sooner 
mentioned,  than  I  was  desired  to  send  a  messenger  round  to 
the  stables,  in  order  that  my  conveyance,  team,  &c.,  might 
make  their  appearance.  As  for  the  articles  that  were  still 
on  the  road,  I  had  very  little  trouble.  The  contractor  knew 
my  father,  and  he  no  sooner  heard  that  Mr.  Littlepage,  of 
Satanstoe,  was  the  owner  of  the  provisions,  than  he  pur 
chased  the  whole  on  the  guaranty  of  his  name.  For  the 
pork  I  was  to  receive  two  half-joes  the  barrel,  and  for  the 
flour  one.  This  was  a  good  sale.  The  horses  would  be 
taken,  if  serviceable,  as  the  contractor  did  not  question,  as 
would  the  lumber-sleighs,  though  the  prices  could  not  be  set 
until  the  different  animals  and  objects  were  seen  and  ex 
amined. 

It  is  amazing  what  war  will  do  for  commerce,  as  well  as 
what  it  does  against  it !  The  demand  for  everything  that 
the  judgment  of  my  father  had  anticipated,  was  so  great, 
that  the  contractor  told  me  very  frankly  the  sleighs  would 
not  be  unloaded  in  Albany  at  all,  but  would  be  sent  on 
north,  on  the  line  of  the  expected  route  of  the  army,  so  as 
to  anticipate  the  disappearance  of  the  snow  and  the  break 
ing  up  of  the  roads. 

"  You  shall  be  paid  liberally  for  your  teams,  harness  and 
sleighs,"  he  continued,  "  though  no  sum  can  be  named  until 
I  see  them.  These  are  not  times  when  operations  are  to 
be  retarded  on  account  of  a  few  joes,  more  or  less,  for  the 
King's  service  must  go  on.  I  very  well  know  that  Major 
Littlepage  and  Col.  Pollock  both  understand  what  they  are 
about,  and  have  sent  us  the  right  sort  of  things.  The 
horses  are  very  likely  a  little  old,  but  are  good  for  one 
campaign  ;  better  than  if  younger,  perhaps,  and  were  they 
colts  we  could  get  no  more  than  that  out  of  them.  These 
movements  in  the  woods  destroy  man  and  beast,  and  cost 
mints  of  money.  Ah  !  There  comes  your  team." 

Sure  enough,  the  sleigh  drove  round  from  the  tavern,  and 
we  all  went  out  to  look  at  the  horses,  &c.  Guert  now  be 
came  an  important  person.  On  the  subject  of  horses  he 
was  accounted  an  oracle,  and  he  talked,  moved,  and  acted 
like  one  in  all  respects.  The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  step 
15 


170  SATANSTOE. 

up  to  the  animal's  head,  and  to  look  into  the  mouth  .of  each 
in  succession.  The  knowing  way  in  which  this  was  done, 
the  coolness  of  the  interference,  and  the  fine,  manly  form 
of  the  intruder,  would  have  given  him  at  once  a  certain 
importance  and  a  connection  with  what  was  going  on,  had 
not  his  character  for  judgment  in  horse-flesh  been  well  es 
tablished,  far  and  near,  in  that  quarter  of  the  country. 

"  Upon  my  word,  wonderfully  good  mouths  !"  exclaimed 
Guert,  when  through.  "  You  must  have  your  grain  ground, 
Mr.  Littlepage,  or  the  teeth  never  could  have  stood  it  so 
well !" 

"  What  age  do  you  call  the  animals,  Guert?"  demanded 
the  contractor. 

"  That  is  not  so  easily  told,  sir.  I  admit  that  they  are 
aged  horses ;  but  they  may  be  eight,  or  nine,  or  even  ten, 
as  for  what  can  be  told  by  their  teeth.  By  the  looks  of 
their  limbs,  I  should  think  they  might  be  nine  coming 
grass." 

"  The  near-horse  is  eleven,"  I  said,  "  and  the  off-horse 
is  supposed  to  be " 

"  Poh  !  poh  !  Littlepage,"  interrupted  Guert,  making  signs 
to  me  to  be  quiet — "  you  may  thitilc  the  off-horse  ten,  but 
I  should  place  him  at  about  nine.  His  teeth  are  excellent, 
and  there  is  not  even  a  wind-gall  on  his  legs.  There  is  a 
cross  of  the  Flemish  in  that  beast." 

"  Well,  and  what  do  you  say  the  pair  is  worth,  Master 
Guert,"  demanded  the  contractor,  who  seemed  to  have  a 
certain  confidence  in  his  friend's  judgment,  notwithstanding 
the  recklessness  and  freedom  of  his  manner.  "  Twelve 
half-joes  for  them  both  ?" 

"  That  will  never  do,  Mr.  Contractor,"  answered  Guert, 
shaking  his  head.  "  In  times  like  these,  such  stout  animals, 
and  beasts  too  in  such  heart  and  condition,  ought  to  bring 
fifteen." 

"  Fifteen  let  it  be  then,  if  Mr.  Littlepage  assents.  Now 
for  the  sleigh,  and  harness,  and  skins.  I  suppose  Mr.  Little- 
page  will  part  with  the  skins  too,  as  he  can  have  no  use  for 
them  without  the  sleigh  ?" 

"Have  you,  Mr.  Contractor?"  asked  Guert,  a  little 
abruptly.  "  That  bear-skin  fills  my  eye  beautifully,  and  if 
Mr,  Littlepage  will  take  a  guinea  for  it,  here  is  his  money," 


SATANSTOfii  171 

As  this  was  a  fair  price,  it  was  accepted,  though  I  pressed 
(he  skin  on  Guert  as  a  gift,  in  remembrance  of  our  accidental 
acquaintance.  This  offer,  however,  he  respectfully,  but 
firmly  resisted.  And  here  I  will  take  occasion  to  say,  lest 
the  reader  be  misled  by  what  is  met  with  in  works  of  fiction, 
and  other  light  and  vain  productions,  that  in  all  my  dealings, 
and  future  connection  with  Guert,  I  found  him  strictly 
honourable  in  money  matters.  It  is  true,  I  would  not  have 
purchased  a  horse  on  his  recommendation,  if  he  owned  the 
beast ;  but  we  all  know  how  the  best  men  yield  in  their 
morals  when  they  come  to  deal  in  horses.  I  should  scarcely 
have  expected  Mr.  Worden  to  be  orthodox,  in  making  such 
bargains.  But,  on  all  other  subjects  connected  with  money, 
Guert  Ten  Eyck  was  one  of  the  honestest  fellows  I  ever  dealt 
with. 

The  contractor  took  the  sleigh,  harness,  and  skins,  at 
seven  more  half-joes ;  making  twenty-three  for  the  whole 
outfit.  This  was  certainly  receiving  two  half-joes  more 
than  my  father  had  expected ;  and  I  owed  the  gain  of  six 
teen  dollars  to  Guert's  friendly  and  bold  interference.  As 
soon  as  the  prices  were  settled,  the  money  was  paid  me  in 
good  Spanish  gold ;  and  I  handed  over  to  Dirck  the  portion 
that  properly  fell  to  his  father's  share.  As  it  was  under 
stood  that  the  remaining  horses,  sleighs,  harness,  provisions, 
&c.,  were  to  be  taken  at  an  appraisal,  the  instant  they 
arrived,  this  hour's  work  relieved  my  friend  and  myself 
from  any  further  trouble  on  the  subject  of  the  property  en 
trusted  to  our  care.  And  a  relief  it  was  to  be  so  well  rid  of 
a  responsibility  that  was  as  new  as  it  was  heavy  to  each 
of  us. 

The  reader  will  get  some  idea  of  the  pressure  of  affairs, 
and  how  necessary  it  was  felt  to  be  on  the  alert  in  the  month 
of  March  —  a  time  of  the  year  when  twenty-four  hours 
might  bring  about  a  change  in  the  season — by  the  circum 
stance  that  the  contractor  sent  his  new  purchase  to  be  loaded 
up  from  the  door  of  his  office,  with  orders  to  proceed  on 
north,  with  supplies  for  a  depot  that  he  was  making  as  near 
to  Lake  George  as  was  deemed  prudent ;  the  French  being 
in  force  at  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  two  posts  at  the 
head  of  Champlain ;  a  distance  considerably  less  than  a 
hundred  miles  from  Albany.  Whatever  was  forwarded  as 


172  SATANSTOB. 

far  as  Lake  George  while  the  snow  lasted,  could  then  be 
sent  on  with  the  army,  in  the  contemplated  operations  of  the 
approaching  summer,  by  means  of  the  two  lakes,  and  their 
northern  outlets. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  cried  Guert,  heartily ;  "  that 
affair  is  well  disposed  of.  You  got  goot  prices,  and  I  hope 
the  King  has  got  goot  horses.  They  are  a  little  venerable, 
perhaps;  but  what  of  that?  The  army  would  knock  up 
the  best  and  youngest  beast  in  the  colony,  in  one  campaign 
in  the  woots ;  and  it  can  do  no  more  with  the  oldest  and 
worst.  Shall  we  walk  rount  into  the  main  street,  gentle 
men  ?  This  is  about  the  hour  when  the  young  ladies  are 
apt  to  start  for  their  afternoon  sleighing." 

"  I  suppose  the  ladies  of  Albany  are  remarkable  for  their 
beauty,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,"  I  rejoined,  wishing  to  say  some 
thing  agreeable  to  a  man  who  seemed  so  desirous  of  serving 
me.  "  The  specimens  I  saw  in  crossing  the  river  this 
morning,  would  induce  a  stranger  to  think  so." 

"  Sir,"  replied  Guert,  walking  towards  the  great  avenue 
of  the  town,  "  we  are  content  with  our  ladies,  in  general, 
for  they  are  charming,  warm-hearted  and  amiable;  but 
there  has  been  an  arrival  among  us  this  winter,  from  your 
part  of  the  colony,  that  has  almost  melted  the  ice  on  the 
Hudson !" 

My  heart  beat  quicker,  for  I  could  only  think  of  one  be 
ing  of  her  sex,  as  likely  to  produce  such  a  sensation.  Still, 
1  could  not  abstain  from  making  a  direct  inquiry  on  the 
subject. 

"  From  ovr  part  of  the  colony,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck  ! — You 
mean  from  New  York,  probably  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  as  a  matter  of  course.  There  are  several 
beautiful  English  women  who  have  come  up  with  the  army  ; 
but  no  colonel,  major,  or  captain,  has  brought  such  para 
gons  with  him,  as  Herman  Mordaunt,  a  gentleman  who 
may  be  known  to  you  by  name?" 

"  Personally  too,  sir.  Herman  Mordaunt  is  even  a  kins 
man  of  Dirck'Follock,  my  friend  here." 

"  Then  is  Mr.  Pollock  to  be  envied,  since  he  can  call 
cousin  with  so  charming  a  young  lady  as  Anneke 
daunt." 


SATANSTOE.  173 

"True  sir,  most  true!"  I  interrupted,  eagerly;  "Anne 
Mordaunt  passes  for  the  sweetest  girl  in  York  1" 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  should  go  quite  as  far  as  that,  Mr. 
Littlepage,"  returned  Guert,  moderating  his  warmth,  in  a 
manner  that  a  little  surprised  me,  though  his  handsome  face 
still  glowed  with  honest,  natural  admiration  ;  "  since  there 
is  a  Miss  Mary  Wallace  in  her  company,  that  is  quite  as 
much  thought  of,  here  in  Albany,  as  her  friend,  Miss  Mor 
daunt." 

Mary  Wallace !  The  idea  of  comparing  the  silent, 
thoughtful,  excellent  though  she  were,  Mary  Wallace,  with 
Anneke  could  never  have  crossed  my  mind.  Still,  Mary 
Wallace  certainly  was  a  very  charming  girl.  She  was 
even  handsome;  had  a  placid,  saint-like  character  of  coun 
tenance  that  had  often  struck  me,  singular  beauty  and 
development  of  form,  and,  in  any  other  company  than  that 
of  Anneke's,  might  well  have  attracted  the  first  attention  of 
the  most  fastidious  beholder. 

And  Guert  Ten  Eyck  admired, — perhaps  loved,  Mary 
Wallace !  Here,  then,  was  fresh  evidence  how  much  we 
are  all  inclined  to  love  our  opposites ;  to  form  close  friend 
ships  with  those  who  resemble  us  least,  principles  excepted, 
for  virtue  can  never  cling  to  vice,  and  how  much  more  in 
terest  novelty  possesses  in  the  human  breast,  than  the 
repetition  of  things  to  which  we  are  accustomed.  No  two 
beings  could  be  less  alike  than  Mary  Wallace  and  Guert 
Ten  Eyck  ;  yet  the  last  admired  the  first. 

"Miss  Wallace  is  a  very  charming  young  lady,  Mr. 
Ten  Eyck,"  I  rejoined,  as  soon  as  wonder  would  allow  me 
to  answer,  "  and  I  am  not  surprised  you  speak  of  her  in 
terms  of  so  much  admiration." 

Guert  stopped  short  in  the  street,  looked  me  full  in  the 
face  with  an  expression  of  truth  that  could  not  well  be 
feigned,  squeezed  my  hand  fervently,  and  rejoined  with  a 
strange  frankness,  that  I  could  not  have  imitated,  to  bo 
master  of  all  I  saw — 

"Admiration,  Mr.  Littlepage,  is  not  a  wort  strong 
enough  for  what  I  feel  for  Mary  !  I  would  marry  her  in 
the  next  hour,  and  love  and  cherish  her  for  all  the  rest  of 
my  life.  I  worship  her,  and  love  the  earth  she  treads  on." 

"  And  you  have  told  her  this.  Mr.  Ten  Eyck?" 
15* 


174  8ATANSTOB. 

"  Fifty  times,  sir.  She  has  now  been  two  months  in  Al 
bany,  and  my  love  was  secured  within  the  first  week.  I 
offered  myself  too  soon,  I  fear ;  for  Mary  is  a  prutent,  sen 
sible  young  woman,  and  girls  of  that  character  are  apt  to 
distrust  the  youth  who  is  too  quick  in  his  advances.  They 
like  to  be  served,  sir,  for  seven  years  and  seven  years,  as 
Joseph  served  for  Potiphar." 

"  You  mean,  most  likely,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,  as  Jacob  served 
for  Rachel." 

"  Well,  sir,  it  may  be  as  you  say,  dough  I  t'ink  that  in 
our  Dutch  Bibles,  it  stands  as  Joseph  served  for  Potiphar— 
but  you  know  what  I  mean,  Mr.  Littlepage.  If  you  wish  to 
see  the  ladies,  and  will  come  with  me,  I  will  go  to  a  place 
where  Herman  Mordaunt's  sleigh  invariaply  passes  at  this 
hour,  for  the  ladies  almost  live  in  the  air.  I  never  miss 
the  occasion  of  seeing  them." 

I  had  now  a  clue  to  Guert's  being  so  much  in  the  street. 
He  was  as  good  as  his  word,  however,  for  he  took  a  stand 
near  the  Dutch  church,  where  I  soon  had  the  happiness  of 
seeing  Anneke  and  her  friend  driving. past,  on  their  even 
ing's  excursion.  How  blooming  and  lovely  the  former 
looked  !  Mary  Wallace's  eye  turned,  I  fancied  understand- 
ingly,  to  the  corner  where  Guert  had  placed  himself,  and 
her  colour  deepened  as  she  returned  his  bow.  But,  the 
start  of  surprise,  the  smile,  and  the  lightening  eye  of  Anneke, 
as  she  unexpectedly  saw  me,  filled  my  soul  with  delight, 
almost  too  great  to  be  borne. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"Then  the  wine  it  gets  into  their  heads, 
And  turns  the  wit  out  of  its  station ; 
Nonsense  gets  in,  in  its  stead, 
And  their  puns  are  now  all  botheration." 

The  Punning  Society. 

GUERT  Ten  Eyck  looked  at  me  expressively,  as  the  sleigh 
whirled  round  an  angle  of  the  building  and  disappeared. 


SATANSTOE. 


175 


He  then  proposed  that  we  should  proceed.  On  ascending 
the  main  street,  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  at  discovering 
the  sort  of  amusement  that  was  going  on,  and  in  which  it 
seemed  to  me  all  the  youths  of  the  place  were  engaged. 
By  youths,  I  do  not  mean  lads  of  twelve  and  fourteen,  but 
young  men  of  eighteen  and  twenty,  the  amusement  being 
that  of  sliding  down  hill,  or  "  coasting,"  as  I  am  told  it  is 
called  in  Boston.  The  acclivity  was  quite  sharp,  and  of 
sufficient  length  to  give  an  impetus  to  the  sled,  that  was  set 
in  motion  at  a  short  distance  above  the  English  church;  an 
impetus  that  would  carry  it  past  the  Dutch  church — a  dis 
tance  that  was  somewhat  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 
The  hand-sleds  employed,  were  of  a  size  and  construction 
suited  to  the  dimensions  of  those  that  used  them ;  and,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  there  was  no  New  Yorker  that  had  not 
learned  how  to  govern  the  motion  of  one  of  these  vehicles, 
even  when  gliding  down  the  steepest  descent,  with  the  nicest 
delicacy  and  greatest  ease.  As  children,  or  boys  as  late  in 
life  as  fourteen  even,  every  male  in  the  colony,  and  not  a 
few  of  the  females,  had  acquired  this  art ;  but  this  was  the 
first  place  in  which  I  had  ever  known  adults  to  engage  in 
the  sport.  The  accidental  circumstance  of  a  hill's  belong 
ing  to  the  principal  street,  joined  to  the  severity  of  the  win 
ters,  had  rendered  an  amusement  suited  to  grown  people, 
that,  elsewhere,  was  monopolized  by  the  children. 

By  the  time  we  had  ascended  as  high  as  the  English 
church,  a  party  tff  young^officers  came  down  from  the  fort, 
gay  with  the  glass  and  the  song  of  the  regimental  mess. 
No  sooner  did  they  reach  the  starting-point,  than  three  or 
four  of  the  more  youthful  got  possession  of  as  many  sleds, 
and  offthey  went,  like  the  shot  starting  from  its  gun.  Nobody 
seemed  to  think  it  strange ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  I  observed 
that  the  elderly  people  looked  on  with  a  complacent  gravity, 
that  seemed  to  say  how  vividly  the  sight  recalled  the  days 
of  their  own  youth.  I  cannot  say,  however,  that  the  stran 
gers  succeeded  very  well  in  managing  their  sleds,  generally 
meeting  with  some  stoppage  before  they  reached  the  bottom 
of  the  hill. 

"  Will  you  take  a  slide,  Mr.  Littlepage?"  Guert  demanded, 
with  a  courteous  gravity,  that  showed  how  serious  a  business 
he  fancied  the  sport.  "  Here  is  a  iarge  and  strong  sled  that 


176 


SATAN  STOE. 


will  carry  double,  and  you  might  trust  yourself  with  me, 
though  a  regiment  of  horse  were  paraded  down  below." 

"  But  are  we  not  a  little  too  old  for  such  an  amusement, 
in  the  streets  of  a  large  town,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck  ?"  I  answered, 
doubtingly,  looking  round  me  in  an  uncertain  manner,  as 
one  who  did  not  like  to  adventure,  even  while  he  hesitated 
to  refuse.  "  Those  king's  officers  are  privileged  people, 
you  know." 

"  No  man  has  a  higher  privilege  to  use  the  streets  of 
Albany,  than  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage,  sir,  I  can  assure 
you.  The  young  ladies  often  honour  me  with  their  com" 
pariy,  and  no  accident  has  ever  happened." 

"  Do  the  young  ladies  venture  to  ride  down  this  street, 
Mr.  Ten  Eyck  ?" 

"  Not  often,  sir,  I  grant  you ;  though  that  7ms  been  done, 
too,  of  a  moonlight  night.  There  is  a  more  retired  spot,  at 
no  great  distance  from  this  street,  however,  to  which  the 
ladies  are  rather  more  partial.  Look,  Mr.  Littlepage!  — 

There  goes  the  Hon.  Capt.  Monson,  of  the th,  and  he 

will  be  down  the  hill  and  up  again  before  we  are  off,  unless 
you  hurry.  Take  your  seat,  lady-fashion,  and  leave  me  to 
manage  the  sled." 

What  could  I  do !  Guert  had  been  so  very  civil,  was  so> 
much  in  earnest,  everybody  seemed  to  expect  it  of  me,  and 
the  Hon.  Capt.  Monson  was  already  a  hundred  yards  on  his 
way  to  the  bottom,  shooting  a'nead  with  the  velocity  of  an 
arrow.  I  took  my  ^c-ac,  accordingly,  placing  my  feet  to 
gether  on  the  front'round,  "  lady-fashion"  as  directed.  In 
an  instant,  Guert's  manly  frame  was  behind  me,  with  a  leg 
extended  on  each  side  of  the  sled,  the  government  of  which, 
as  every  American  who  has  been  born  north  of  the  Potomac 
well  knows,  is  effected  by  delicate  touches  of  the  heels. 
Guert  called  out  to  the  boys  for  a  shove,  and  away  we 
went,  like  the  ship  that  is  bound  for  her  "  destined  element," 
as  the  poets  say.  We  got  a  good  start,  and  left  the  spot  as 
the  arrow  leaves  its  bow. 

Shall  I  own  the  truth,  and  confess  I  had  a  momentary 
pleasure  in  the  excitement  produced  by  the  rapidity  of  the 
motion,  by  the  race  we  were  running  with  another  sled,  and 
by  the  skill  and  ease  with  which  Guert,  almost  without 
touching  the  ground,  carried  us  unharmed  through  sundry 


SATANSTOE.  177 

narrow  passages,  and  along  the  line  of  wood  and  venison 
loaded  sleighs,  barely  clearing  the  noses  of  their  horses.  I 
forgot  that  I  was  making  this  strange  exhibition  of  myself, 
in  a  strange  place,  and  almost  in  strange  company.  So 
rapid  was  our  motion,  however,  that  the  danger  of  being 
recognised  was  not  very  great ;  and  there  were  so  many  to 
divide  attention,  that  the  act  of  folly  would  have  been  over 
looked,  but  for  a  most  untimely  and  unexpected  accident. 
We  had  gone  the  entire  length  between  the  two  churches 
with  great  success, — several  steady,  grave,  and  respectable- 
looking  old  burghers  calling  out,  on  a  high  key,  "  Veil 
done,  Guert !" — for  Guert  appeared  to  be  a  general  favour 
ite,  in  the  sense  of  fun  and  frolic  at  least, — when,  turning 
an  angle  of  the  Old  Dutch  Temple,  in  the  ambitious  wish 
of  shooting  past  it,  in  order  to  run  still  lower  and  shoot  off 
the  wharf  upon  the  river,  we  found  ourselves  in  imminent 
danger  of  running  under  the  fore-legs  of  two  foaming 
horses,  that  were  whirling  a  sleigh  around  the  same  corner 
of  the  church.  Nothing  saved  us  but  Guert's  readiness  and 
physical  power.  By  digging  a  heel  into  the  snow,  he 
caused  the  sled  to  fly  round  at  a  right  angle  to  its  former 
course,  and  us  to  fly  off  it,  heels  over  head,  without  much 
regard  to  the  proprieties,  so  far  as  postures  or  grace  was 
concerned.  The  negro  who  drove  the  sleigh  pulled  up,  at 
the  same  instant,  with  so  much  force  as  to  throw  his  horses 
on  their  haunches.  The  result  of  these  combined  move 
ments  was  to  cause  Guert  and  myself  to  roll  over  in  such  a 
way  as  to  regain  our  feet  directly  alongside  of  the  sleigh. 
In  rising  to  my  feet,  indeed,  I  laid  a  hand  on  the  side  of  the 
vehicle,  in  order  to  assist  me  in  the  effort. 

What  a  sight  met  my  eyes !  In  the  front  stood  the  negro, 
grinning  from  ear  to  ear;  for  he  deemed  every  disaster  that 
occurred  on  runners  a  fit  subject  for  merriment.  Who  ever 
did  anything  but  laugh  at  seeing  a  sleigh  upset? — and  it 
was  consequently  quite  in  rule  to  do  so  on  seeing  two  over 
grown  boys  roll  over  from  a  hand-sled.  I  could  have 
knocked  the  rascal  down,  with  a  good  will,  but  it  would  not 
have  done  to  resent  mirth  that  proceeded  from  so  legitimate 
a  cause.  Had  I  been  disposed  to  act  differently,  however, 
the  strength  and  courage  necessary  to  effect  such  a  purpose 
would  have  been  annihilated  in  me,  by  finding  myself  stand- 


178  SATANSTOE. 

ing  within  three  feet,  and  directly  in  front  of  Anneke  Mor- 
daunt  and  Mary  "Wallace !  The  shame  at  being  thus  de 
tected  in  the  disastrous  termination  of  so  boyish  a  flight,  al 
first  nearly  overcame  me.  How  Guert  felt  I  do  not  know, 
but,  for  a  single  instant,  I  wished  him  in  the  middle  of  the 
Hudson,  and  all  Albany,  its  Dutch  Church,  sleds,  hill,  and 
smoking  burghers  included,  on  top  of  him. 

"  Mr.  Littlepage !"  burst  out  of  the  rosy  lips  of  Anneke, 
in  a  tone  of  voice  that  was  not  to  be  misunderstood. 

"  Mr.  Guert  Ten  Eyck !"  exclaimed  Mary  Wallace,  in 
an  accent  and  manner  that  bespoke  chagrin. 

"  At  your  service,  Miss  Mary,"  answered  Guert,  who 
looked  a  little  sheepish  at  the  result  of  his  exploit,  though 
for  a  reason  I  did  not  at  first  comprehend,  brushing  some 
snow  from  his  cap  at  the  same  time — "  At  your  service, 
now  and  ever,  Miss  Mary.  But,  do  not  suppose  it  was 
awkwardness  that  produced  this  accident,  I  entreat  of  you. 
It  was  altogether  the  fault  of  the  boy  who  is  stationed  to 
give  warning  of  sleighs  below  the  church,  who  must  have 
left  his  post.  Whenever  either  of  you  young  ladies  will  do 
me  the  honour  to  take  a  seat  with  me,  I  will  pledge  my  cha 
racter,  as  an  Albanian,  to  carry  her  to  the  foot  of  the  high 
est  and  steepest  hill  in  town  without  disturbing  a  riband." 

Mary  Wallace  made  no  answer ;  and  I  fancied  she  looked 
a  little  sad.  It  is  possible  Anneke  saw  and  understood  this 
feeling,  for  she  answered  with  a  spirit  that  I  had  never  seen 
her  manifest  before — 

.  "  No,  no,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,"  she  said  ;  "  when  Miss  Wal 
lace  or  I  wish  to  ride  down  hill,  and  become  little  girls  again, 
we  will  trust  ourselves  with  boys,  whose  constant  practice 
will  be  likely  to  render  them  more  expert  than  men  can  be, 
who  have  had  time  to  forget  the  habits  of  their  childhood. 
Pompey,  we  will  return  home." 

The  cold  inclination  of  the  head  that  succeeded,  while  it 
was  sufficiently  gracious  to  preserve  appearances,  proved 
too  plainly  that  neither  Guert  nor  myself  had  risen  in  the 
estimation  of  his  mistress,  by  this  boyish  exhibition  of  his 
skill  with  the  hand-sled.  Had  either  of  these  young  ladies 
been  Albanians,  it  is  probable  they  would  have  laughed  at 
our  mishap ;  but  no  high  hill  running  directly  into  New 
York,  the  custom  that  prevailed  at  Albany  did  not  prevail 


S AT ANSTOB 


179 


b  the  capital.  Small  boys  alone  used  the  hand-sled  in  that 
part  of  the  colony,  while  the  taste  continued  longer  among 
the  more  stable  and  constant  Dutch.  Of  course,  we  had 
nothing  to  do  but  to  make  profound  bows,  and  suffer  the 
aegro  to  move  on. 

"  There  it  is,  Littlepage,"  exclaimed  Guert,  with  a  species 
of  sigh ;  "  I  shall  have  nothing  but  iced  looks  for  the  next 
week,  and  all  for  riding  down  hill  four  or  five  years  later 
than  is  the  rule.  Everybody,  hereabouts,  uses  the  hand-sled 
until  eighteen,  or  so  ;  and  I  am  only  five-and-twenty.  Pray, 
what  may  be  your  age,  my  dear  fellow  ?" 

"  Twenty-one,  only  about  a  month  since.  I  wish,  with 
all  my  heart,  it  were  ten  !" 

"  Turned  the  corner  ! — well,  that's  unlucky  ;  but  we  must 
make  the  best  of  it.  My  taste  is  for  fun,  and  so  I  have 
admitted  to  Miss  Wallace,  twenty  times ;  but  she  tells  me 
that,  after  a  certain  period,  men  should  look  to  graver  things, 
and  think  of  their  country.  She  has  lectured  me  already, 
once,  on  the  subject  of  sliding;  though  she  allows  that 
skating  is  a  manly  exercise." 

"  When  a  lady  takes  the  trouble  to  lecture,  it  is  a  sure 
sign  she  feels  some  interest  in  the  subject." 

"  By  St.  Nicholas  1  I  never  thought  of  that,  Littlepage  !" 
cried  Guert,  who,  notwithstanding  the  great  advantages  he 
possessed  in  the  way  of  face  and  figure,  turned  out  to  have 
less  personal  vanity  about  him  than  almost  any  man  I  ever 
met  with.  "  Lecture  me  she  has,  and  that  more  than  once, 
too !" 

"  The  lady  who  lectures  me,  sir,  will  not  get  rid  of  me, 
at  the  end  of  the  discourse." 

"  That's  manly  !  I  like  it,  Littlepage  ;  and  I  like  you.  I 
foresee  we  shall  be  great  friends ;  and  we'll  talk  more  of 
this  matter  another  time.  Now,  Mary  has  spoken  to  me 
of  the  war,  and  hinted  that  a  single  man,  like  myself,  with 
the  world  before  him,  might  do  something  to  make  his  name 
known  in  it.  I  did  not  like  that ;  for  a  girl  who  loved  a 
fellow  would  not  wish  to  have  him  shot." 

"  A  girl  who  took  no  interest  in  her  suitor,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck, 
would  not  care  whether  he  did  anything  or  not.  But  I  must 
now  quit  you,  being  under  an  engagement  to  meet  Mr.  Wor- 
den  at  the  inn,  at  six." 


180  SATANSTOE. 

Guert  and  I  shook  hands,  for  the  tenth  or  twelfth  time 
lhat  day,  parting  with  an  understanding  that  he  was  to  call 
for  us,  to  accompany  our  party  to  the  supper,  at  the  previ 
ously  appointed  hour.  As  I  walked  towards  the  inn,  I  pon 
dered  on  what  had  just  occurred,  in  a  most  mortified  temper. 
That  Anneke  was  displeased,  was  only  too  apparent ;  and 
I  felt  fearful  that  her  displeasure  was  not  entirely  free  from 
contempt.  As  for  Guert's  case,  it  did  not  strike  me  as  being 
half  so  desperate  as  my  own  ;  for  there  was  nothing  unna 
tural,  but  something  quite  the  reverse,  in  women  of  sense 
and  stability,  when  they  admire  any  youth  of  opposite  tem 
perament, — and  I  remembered  to  have  heard  my  grandfather 
say  that  such  was  apt  to  be  the  case, — wishing  to  elevate 
their  suitors  in  their  pursuits  and  characters.  Had  Anneke 
taken  the  pains  to  remonstrate  with  me  about  the  folly  of 
what  I  had  done,  I  should  have  been  encouraged  ;  but  the 
cold  indifference  of  her  manner,  not  to  call  it  contempt,  cut 
me  to  the  quick.  It  is  true,  Anneke  seemed  to  feel  most  on 
her  friend's  account ;  but  I  could  not  mistake  the  look  of 
surprise  with  which  she  saw  me,  Cornelius  Littlepage,  rise 
from  under  her  sleigh,  and  stand  brushing  the  snow  from 
my  clothes,  like  a  great  calf  as  I  was  !  No  man  can  bear 
to  be  rendered  ridiculous  in  the  presence  of  the  woman  he 
loves. 

Near  the  inn  I  met  Dirck,  his  whole  face  illuminated  with 
a  look  of  pleasure. 

"  I  have  just  met  Anneke  and  Mary  Wallace !"  he  said', 
"  and  they  stopped  their  sleigh  to  speak  to  me.  Herman 
Mordaunt  has  been  here  half  the  winter,  and  he  means  to 
remain  most  of  the  summer.  There  will  be  no  Lilacsbush 
this  season,  the  girls  told  me,  but  Herman  Mordaunt  has 
got  a  house,  where  he  lives  with  his  own  servants,  and  boils 
his  own  pot,  as  he  calls  it.  We  shall  be  at  home  there,  of 
course,  for  you  are  such  a  favourite,  Corny,  ever  since  that 
affair  of  the  lion  !  As  for  Anneke,  I  never  saw  her  looking 
so  beautiful !" 

"  Did  Miss  Mordaunt  say  she  would  be  happy  to  see  us 
on  the  old  footing,  Dirck  ?" 

"  Did  she  ? — I  suppose  so.  She  said  I  shall  be  glad  to 
see  you,  cousin  Dirck,  whenever  you  can  come,  and  I  hope 


SATANSTOE.  181 

you  will  bring  with  you  sometimes  the  clergyman  of  whom 
you  have  spoken." 

"  But  nothing  of  Jason  Newcome  or  Corny  Lrttlepage  ? 
Tell  the  truth  at  once,  Dirck ;  my  name  was  not  men 
tioned  ?" 

"  Indeet  it  was,  t'ough  ;  /  mentioned  it  several  times,  and 
told  them  how  long  we  had  been  on  the  roat,  and  how  you 
trove,  and  how  you  had  sold  the  sleigh  and  horses  already, 
and  a  dozen  other  t'ings.  Oh  !  we  talket  a  great  deal  of 
you,  Corny  ;  that  is,  I  dit,  and  the  girls  listened." 

"  Was  my  name  mentioned  by  either  of  the  young  ladies, 
Dirck,  in  direct  terms  ?" 

"To  be  sure;  Anneke  had  something  to  say  about  you, 
though  it  was  so  much  out  of  the  way,  I  can  hardly  tell 
you  what  it  was  now.  Oh  !  I  remember :  she  said  *  I  have 
seen  Mr.  Littlepage,  and  think  he  has  grown  since  we  last 
met ;  he  promises  to  make  a  man  one  of  these  days.'  What 
could  t'at  mean,  Corny  ?" 

"  That  I  am  a  fool,  a  great  overgrown  boy,  and  wish  I 
had  never  seen  Albany ;  that's  what  it  means.  Come,  let 
us  go  in ;  Mr.  Worden  will  be  expecting  us.  Ha !  Who 
the  devil's  that,  Dirck  ?" 

A  loud  Dutch  shout  from  Dirck  broke  out  of  him,  regard 
less  of  the  street,  and  his  whole  face  lighted  up  into  a  broad 
sympathetic  smile.  I  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  sled 
coming  down  the  acclivity  we  were  slowly  ascending,  which 
sled  glided  past  us  just  as  I  got  the  words  out  of  my  mouth. 
It  was  occupied  by  Jason  alone,  who  seemed  just  as  much 
charmed  with  the  sport  as  any  other  grown-up  boy  on  the 
hill.  There  he  went,  the  cocked  hat  uppermost,  the  pea- 
green  coat  beneath,  and  the  striped  woollens  and  heavy 
plated  buckles  stuck  out,  one  on  each  side,  governing  the 
movement  of  the  sled  with  the  readiness  of  a  lad  accus 
tomed  to  the  business. 

"  That  must  be  capital  fun,  Corny  !"  my  companion  said, 
scarce  able  to  contain  himself  for  the  pleasure  he  felt.  "  I 
have  a  great  mind  to  borrow  a  sled  and  take  a  turn  myself." 

"  Not  if  you  intend  to  visit  Miss  Mordaunt,  Dirck.     Take 
my  word  for  it,  she  does  not  like  to  see  men  following  the 
pleasures  of  boys." 
16 


182  SATANSTOE. 

Dirck  stared  at  me,  but  being  taciturn  by  nature,  he  said 
nothing,  and  we  entered  the  house.  There  we  found  Mr. 
Worden  reading  over  an  old  sermon,  in  readiness  for  his 
next  Sunday's  business  ;  and  sitting  down,  we  began  to  com 
pare  notes  on  the  subject  of  the  town  and  its  advantages. 
The  divine  was  in  raptures.  As  for  the  Dutch  he  cared 
little  for  them,  and  had  seen  but  little  of  them,  overlooking 
them  in  a  very  natural,  metropolitan  sort  of  way ;  but  he 
had  found  so  many  English  officers,  had  heard  so  much 
from  home,  and  had  received  so  many  invitations,  that  his 
campaign  promised  nothing  but  agreeables.  We  sat  chat 
ting  over  these  matters  until  the  tea  was  served,  and  for  an 
hour  or  two  afterwards.  My  bargains  were  applauded,  my 
promptitude  —  the  promptitude  of  Guert  would  have  been 
more  just — was  commended,  and  I  was  told  that  my  parents 
should  hear  the  whole  truth  in  the  matter.  In  a  word,  our 
Mentor  being  in  good-humour  with  himself,  was  disposed  to 
be  in  good  humour  with  every  one  else.  * 

At  the  appointed  hour,  Guert  came  to  escort  us  to  the 
place  of  meeting.  He  was  courteous,  attentive,  and  as  frank 
as  the  air  he  breathed,  in  manner.  Mr.  Worden  took  to 
him  excessively,  and  it  was  soon  apparent  that  he  and 
young1  Ten  Eyck  were  likely  to  become  warm  friends. 

"  You  must  know,  gentlemen,  that  the  party  to  which  I 
have  had  the  honour  of  inviting  you,  will  be  composed  of 
some  of  the  heartiest  young  men  in  Albany,  if  not  in  the 
colony.  We  meet  once  a  month,  in  the  house  of  an  old 
bachelor,  who  belongs  to  us,  and  who  will  be  delighted  to 
converse  with  you,  Mr.  Worden,  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
Mr.  Van  Brunt  is  very  expert  in  religion,  and  we  make  him 
the  umpire  of  all  our  disputes  and  bets  on  that  subject." 

This  sounded  a  little  ominous,  I  thought;  but  Mr.  Worden 
was  not  a  man  to  be  frightened  from  a  good  hot  supper,  by 
half-a-dozen  inadvertent  words.  He  could  tolerate  even  a 
religious  discussion,  with  such  an  object  in  view.  He 
walked  on,  side  by  side  with  Guert,  and  we  were  soon  at 
the  door  of  the  house  of  Mr.  Van  Brunt,  the  Bachelor  in 
Divinity,  as  I  nicknamed  him.  Guert  entered  without 
knocking,  and  ushered  us  into  the  presence  of  our  quasi 
host. 

We  found  in  the  room  a  company  of  just  twelve,  Guen 


SAT-ANSTOE.  183 

included ;  that  being  the  entire  number  of  the  club.  It 
struck  me,  at  the  first  glance,  that  the  whole  set  had  a  sort 
of  slide-down-hill  aspect,  and  that  we  were  likely  to  make 
a  night  of  it.  My  acquaintance  with  Dirck,  and  indeed  my 
connection  with  the  old  race,  had  not  left  me  ignorant  of  a 
certain  peculiarity  in  the  Dutch  character.  Sober,  sedate, 
nay  phlegmatic  as  they  usually  appeared  to  be,  their  roys 
tering  was  on  a  pretty  high  key,  when  it  once  fairly  com 
menced.  We  thought  one  lad  of  the  old  race,  down  in 
Westchester,  fully  a  match  for  two  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
breed,  when  it  came  to  a  hard  set-to ;  no  ordinary  fun  ap 
peasing  the  longings  of  an  excited  Dutchman.  Tradition 
had  let  me  into  a  good  many  secrets  connected  with  their 
excesses,  and  I  had  heard  the  young  Albanians  often  men 
tioned  as  being  at  the  head  of  their  profession  in  these  par 
ticulars. 

Nothing  could  be  more  decorous,  or  considerate,  however, 
than  our  introduction  and  reception.  The  young  men 
seemed  particularly  gratified  at  having  a  clergyman  of  their 
party,  and  I  make  no  doubt  it  was  intended  that  the  evening 
should  be  one  of  unusual  sobriety  and  moderation.  I  heard 
the  word  "Dominie"  whispered  from  mouth  to  mouth,  and 
it  was  easy  to  see  the  effect  it  produced.  Most  eyes  were 
fastened  on  Van  Brunt,  a  red-faced,  square-built,  somewhat 
dissolute-looking  man  of  forty-five,  who  seemed  to  find  his 
apology  for  associating  with  persons  so  much  his  juniors, 
in  his  habits,  and  possibly  in  the  necessity  of  the  case ;  as 
men  of  his  own  years  might  not  like  his  company. 

"  And,  gentlemen,  it  is  dry  business  standing  here  look 
ing  at  each  other,"  observed  Mr.  Van  Brunt ;  "  and  we  will 
take  a  little  punch,  to  moisten  our  hearts,  as  well  as  our 
throats.  Guert,  yon  is  the  pitcher." 

Guert  made  good  use  of  the  pitcher,  and  each  man  had 
his  glass  of  punch, — a  beverage  then,  as  now,  much  used 
in  the  colony.  I  must  acknowledge  that  the  mixture  was 
very  knowingly  put  together,  though  I  had  no  sooner  swal 
lowed  my  glass,  than  I  discovered  it  was  confounded  strong. 
Not  eo  with  Guert.  Not  only  did  he  swallow  one  glass,  but 
he  swallowed  two,  in  quick  succession,  like  a  man  who  was 
thirsty ;  standing  at  the  time  in  a  fine,  manly,  erect  attitude, 
as  one  who  trifled  with  something  that  did  not  half  tax  his 


184  SATANSTOE. 

powers.  The  pitcher,  though  quite  large,  was  emptied  at 
that  one  assault,  in  proof  of  which  it  was  turned  bottom 
upwards,  by  Guert  himself. 

Conversation  followed,  most  of  it  being  in  English,  out 
of  compliment  to  the  Dominie,  who  was  not  supposed  to 
understand  Dutch.  This  was  an  error,  however,  Mr.  Wor- 
den  making  out  tolerably  well  in  that  language,  when  he 
tried.  I  was  felicitated  on  the  bargains  I  had  made  with  the 
contractor;  and  many  kind  and  hospitable  attempts  were  made 
to  welcome  me  in  a  frank,  hearty  manner  among  strangers. 
I  confess  I  was  touched  by  these  honest  and  sincere  endea 
vours  to  put  me  at  my  ease,  and  when  a  second  pitcher  of 
punch  was  brought  round,  I  took  another  glass  with  right 
good-will,  while  Guert,  as  usual,  took  two ;  though  the 
liquor  he  drank,  I  had  many  occasions  to  ascertain  subse 
quently,  produced  no  more  visible  effect  on  him,  in  the  way 
of  physical  consequences,  than  if  he  had  not  swallowed  it. 
Guert  was  no  drunkard,  far  from  it;  he  could  only  drink 
all  near  him  under  the  table,  arid  remain  firm  in  his  chair 
himself.  Such  men  usually  escape  the  imputation  of  being 
sots,  though  they  are  very  apt  to  pay  the  penalty  of  their 
successes  at  the  close  of  their  career.  These  are  the  men 
who  break  down  at  sixty,  if  not  earlier,  becoming  subject 
to  paralysis,  indigestion,  and  other  similar  evils. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things,  the  company  gradually 
getting  into  a  very  pleasant  humour,  when  Guert  was  called 
out  of  the  room  by  one  of  the  blacks,  who  bore  a  most 
ominous  physiognomy  while  making  his  request.  He  was 
gone  but  a  moment,  when  he  returned  with  a  certain  sort 
of  consternation  painted  in  his  own  handsome  face.  Mr. 
Van  Brunt  was  called  into  a  corner,  where  two  or  three 
more  of  the  principal  persons  present  soon  collected,  in  an 
earnest,  half-whispered  discourse.  I  was  seated  so  near  this 
group,  as  occasionally  to  overhear  a  few  expressions,  though 
to  get  no  clear  clue  to  its  meaning.  The  words  I  overheard 
were,  "old  Cuyler"  —  "capital  supper"  —  "venison  and 
ducks" — " partridges  and  quails" — "  knows  us  all" — "never 
do" — "  Dominie  the  man" — "  strangers" — "  how  to  do  it?" 
and  several  other  similar  expressions,  which  left  a  vague 
impression  on  my  mind  that  our  supper  was  in  great  peril 
from  some  cause  or  other ;  but  what  that  cause  was  I  could 


SATANSTOE.  185 

won  learn.  Guert  was  evidently  the  principal  person  in  this 
consultation,  everybody  appearing  to  listen  to  his  suggestions 
with  respect  and  attention.  At  length  our  friend  came  out 
of  the  circle,  and  in  a  courteous,  self-possessed  manner  com 
municated  the  difficulty  in  the  following  words: 

"  You  must  know,  Rev.  Mr.  Worden,  and  Mr.  Littlepage, 
and  Mr.  Pollock,  and  Mr.  Newcome,  that  we  have  certain 
customs  of  our  own,  among  us  youths  of  Albany,  that  perhaps 
are  not  familiar  to  you  gentlemen  nearer  the  capital.  The 
trut'  is,  that  we  are  not  always  as  wise  and  as  sober  as  our 
parents,  and  grandparents  in  particular,  could  wish  us  to  be.  It 
is  t'ought  a  good  thing  among  us  sometimes,  to  rummage  the 
hen-roosts  and  poultry-yards  of  the  burghers,  and  to  sup 
on  the  fruits  of  such  a  forage.  I  do  not  know  how  it  is 
with  you,  gentlemen  ;  but  I  will  own,  that  to  me,  ducks  and 
geese  got  in  this  innocent,  game-like  way,  taste  sweeter  than 
when  they  are  bought  in  the  market-hall:  our  own  supper 
for  to-night  was  a  bought  supper,  but  it  has  become  the 
victim  of  a  little  enlargement  of  the  practice  I  have  men 
tioned." 

"  How  ! — how 's  that,  friend  Ten  Eyck  !"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Worden,  in  no  affected  consternation.  "  The  supper  a  victim, 
do  you  say  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  to  be  frank  at  once,  it  is  gone ;  gone  to  a  pullet, 
a  steak,  and  a  potatoe.  They  have  not  left  us  a  dish  !" 

"  They  !"  echoed  the  parson — "And  who  can  they  be  ?" 

"  That  is  a  point  yet  to  be  ascertained,  for  the  operation 
has  been  carried  on  in  so  delicate  and  refined  a  way,  that 
none  of  our  blacks  know  anything  of  the  matter.  It  seems 
there  was  a  cry  of  fire  just  now,  and  it  took  every  one  of 
the  negroes  into  the  street ;  during  which  time  all  our  game 
has  been  put  up,  and  has  flown." 

'•  Bless  me  !  bless  me  !  what  a  calamity  ! — what  a  ras 
cally  theft !  Did  you  not  mark  it  down  ?" 

"  No  sir,  I  am  sorry  to  say  we  have  not ;  nor  do  we  apply 
such  hard  names  to  a  frolic,  even  when  we  lose  our  supper 
by  it.  It  is  the  act  of  some  of  our  associates  and  friends, 
who  hope  to  feast  at  our  expense  to-night ;  and  who  will, 
gentlemen,  unless  you  will  consent  to  aid  us  in  recovering 
our  lost  dishes." 

"  Aid  you,  my  dear  sir — I  will  do  any  thing  you  can 
16  * 


186  SATANSTOE. 

wish — what  will  you  have  me  attempt  ?  Shall  I  go  to  the 
fort,  and  ask  for  succour  from  the  army  ?" 

"  No,  sir ;  our  object  can  be  effected  short  of  t'at.  I  am 
quite  certain  we  can  find  what  we  want,  only  two  or  three 
doors  from  this,  if  you  will  consent  to  lend  us  a  little,  a  very 
little  of  your  assistance." 

"Name  it — name  it,  at  once,  for  Heaven's  sake,  Mr. 
Guert.  The  dishes  must  be  getting  cold,  all  this  time," 
cried  Mr.  Worden,  jumping  up  with  alacrity,  and  looking 
about  him,  for  his  hat  and  cloak. 

"  The  service  we  ask  of  you,  gentlemen,  is  just  this," 
rejoined  Guert,  with  a  coolness  that,  when  I  came  to  reflect 
on  the  events  of  that  night,  has  always  struck  me  as  singu 
larly  astonishing.  "  Our  supper,  and  an  excellent  one  it  is, 
is  close  at  hand,  as  I  have  said.  Nothing  will  be  easier 
than  to  get  it  on  our  own  table,  in  the  next  room,  could  we 
only  manage  to  call  old  Doortje  off  duty,  and  detain  her 
for  five  minutes  at  the  area  gate  of  her  house.  She  knows 
every  one  of  1/5,  and  would  smell  a  rat  in  a  minute,  did  we 
show  ourselves ;  but  Mr.  Worden  and  Mr.  Littlepage,  here, 
might  amuse  her  for  the  necessary  time,  without  any  trou 
ble.  She  is  remarkably  fond  of  Dominies,  and  would  not 
be  able  to  trace  you  back  to  this  house,  leaving  us  to  eat 
the  supper  in  peace.  After  fat,  no  one  cares  for  the  rest." 
"I'll  do  it! — I'll  do  it!"  cried  Mr.  Worden,  hurrying 
into  the  passage,  in  quest  of  his  hat  and  cloak.  "  It  is  no 
more  than  just  that  you  should  have  your  own,  and  the 
supper  will  be  either  eaten,  or  overdone,  should  we  go  for 
constables." 

"  No  fear  of  constables,  Mr.  Worden,  we  never  employ 
them  in  our  poultry  wars.  All  we,  who  will  get  the  supper 
back  again,  can  expect,  will  be  merely  a  little  hot  water,  or 
a  skirmish  with  our  friends." 

The  details  of  the  movement  were  now  intelligibly  and 
clearly  settled.  Guert  was  to  head  a  party  provided  with 
large  clothes-baskets,  who  were  to  enter  the  kitchen,  during 
Doortje's  absence,  and  abstract  the  dishes,  which  could  not 
yet  be  served,  as  all  in  Albany,  of  a  certain  class,  sat  down 
to  supper  at  nine  precisely.  As  for  Doortje,  a  negro  who 
was  in  the  house,  in  waiting  on  one  of  the  guests,  his  mas 
ter,  would  manage  to  get  her  out  to  the  area  gate,  the  house 


SATANSTOE.  187 

having  a  cellar  kitchen,  where  it  would  depend  on  Mr.  Wor- 
den  to  detain  her,  three  or  four  minutes.  To  my  surprise, 
the  parson  entered  on  the  execution  of  the  wild  scheme  with 
boyish  eagerness,  affirming  that  he  could  keep  the  woman 
half  an  hour,  if  it  were  necessary,  by  delivering  her  a  lec 
ture  on  the  importance  of  observing  the  eighth  command 
ment.  As  soon  as  the  preliminaries  were  thus  arranged, 
the  two  parties  proceeded  on  their  respective  duties,  the 
hour  admonishing  us  of  the  necessity  of  losing  no  time  un 
necessarily. 

I  did  not  like  this  affair  from  the  first,  the  experiment  of  slid 
ing  down  hill,  having  somewhat  weakened  my  confidence  in 
Guert  Ten  Eyck's  judgment.  Nevertheless,  it  would  not  do 
for  me  to  hold  back,  when  Mr.  Worden  led, and,  after  all,  there 
was  no  great  harm  in  recovering  a  supper  that  had  been 
abstracted  from  our  own  house.  Guert  did  not  proceed,  like 
ourselves,  by  the  street,  but  he  went  with  his  party,  out  of 
a  back  gate  into  an  alley,  and  was  to  enter  the  yard  of  the 
house  he  assailed,  by  means  of  a  similar  gate  in  its  rear.  Once 
in  that  yard,  the  access  to  the  kitchen,  and  the  retreat,  were 
very  easy,  provided  the  cook  could  be  drawn  away  from 
her  charge  at  so  important  a  moment.  Everything,  there 
fore,  depended  on  the  address  of  the  young  negro  who  was 
in  the  house,  and  ourselves. 

On  reaching  the  gate  of  the  area,  we  stopped  while  our 
negro  descended  to  invite  Doortje  forth.  This  gave  us  a 
moment  to  examine  the  building.  The  house  was  large, 
much  larger  than  most  of  those  round  it,  and  what  struck 
me  as  unusual,  there  was  a  lighted  lamp  over  the  door. 
This  looked  as  if  it  might  be  a  sort  of  a  tavern,  or  eating 
house,  and  rendered  the  whole  thing  more  intelligible  to  me. 
Our  roystering  plunderers  doubtless  intended  to  sup  on  their 
spoils  at  that  tavern. 

The  negro  was  gone  but  a  minute,  when  he  came  out 
with  a  young  black  of  his  own  sex,  a  servant  whom  he 
was  leading  off  his  post,  on  some  pretence  of  his  own,  and 
was  immediately  followed  by  the  cook.  Doortje  made  many 
curtsies  as  soon  as  she  saw  the  cocked-hat  and  black  cloak 
of  the  Dominie,  begging  his  pardon  and  asking-  his  pleasure. 
Mr.  Worden  now  began  a  grave  and  serious  lecture  on  the 
jin  of  stealing,  holding  the  confounded  Doortje  in  discourse 


188  SATANSTOE. 

quite  three  minutes.  In  vain  the  cook  protested  she  had 
taken  nothing ;  that  her  master's  property  was  sacred  in 
her  eyes,  and  ever  had  been ;  that  she  never  gave  away 
even  cold  meats  without  an  order,  and  that  she  could  not 
imagine  why  she  was  to  be  talked  to  in  this  way.  To  give 
him  his  due,  Mr.  Worden  performed  his  part  to  admiration, 
though  it  is  true  he  had  only  an  ignorant  wench,  who  was 
awed  by  his  profession,  to  manage.  At  length  we  heard  a 
shrill  whistle  from  the  alley,  the  signal  of  success,  when 
Mr.  Worden  wished  Doortje  a  solemn  good-night,  and 
walked  away  with  all  the  dignity  of  a  priest.  In  a  minute 
or  two  we  were  in  the  house  again,  and  were  met  by  Guert 
with  cordial  shakes  of  the  hand,  thanks  for  our  acceptable 
service,  and  a  summons  to  supper.  It  appears  that  Doortje 
had  actually  dished-up  everything,  all  the  articles  standing 
before  a  hot  fire  waiting  only  for  the  clock  to  strike  nine  to 
be  served.  In  this  state,  then,  the  only  change  the  supper 
had  to  undergo,  was  to  bring  it  a  short  distance  through  the 
alley  and  to  place  it  on  our  table,  instead  of  that  for  which 
it  was  so  lately  intended. 

Notwithstanding  the  rapidity  with  which  the  changes  had 
been  made,  it  would  not  have  been  very  easy  for  a  stran 
ger  to  detect  any  striking  irregularity  in  our  feast.  It  is 
true,  there  were  two  sets  of  dishes  on  the  table,  or  rather 
dishes  of  two  different  sets ;  but  the  ducks,  game,  &c.,  were 
not  only  properly  cooked,  but  were  warm  and  good.  To 
work  everybody  went,  therefore,  with  an  appetite,  and  for 
five  minutes  little  was  heard  beyond  the  clatter  of  knives 
and  forks.  Then  came  the  drinking  of  healths,  and  finally 
the  toasts,  and  the  songs,  and  the  stories. 

Guert  sang  capitally,  in  a  fine,  clear,  sweet,  manly  voice, 
and  he  gave  us  several  airs  with  words  both  in  English  and 
in  Dutch.  He  had  just  finished  one  of  these  songs,  and  the 
clapping  of  hands  was  still  loud  and  warm,  when  the  young 
man  called  on  Mr.  Worden  for  a  lady,  or  a  sentiment. 

"  Come,  Dominie,"  he  called  out,  for  by  this  time  the 
feast  had  produced  its  familiarity — "  Come,  Dominie,  you 
have  acquitted  yourself  so  well  as  a  lecturer,  that  we  are 
all  dying  to  hear  you  preach." 

"  A  lady  do  you  say,  sir  ?"  asked  the  parson,  who  was  as 
merry  as  any  of  us. 


SATANSTOE 


189 


«  A  laty — a  laty" — shouted  six  or  seven  at  once.  "  The 
Tominie's  laty— the  Tominie's  laty." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  since  you  will  have  it  so,  you  shall 
have  one.  You  must  not  complain  if  she  prove  a  little 
venerable, — but  I  give  you  '  Mother  Church.'  " 

This  produced  a  senseless  laugh,  as  such  things  usually 
do,  and  then  followed  my  turn.  Mr.  Van  Brunt  very 
formally  called  on  me  for  a  lady.  After  pausing  a  moment 
I  said,  as  I  flatter  myself,  with  spirit — 

"  Gentlemen,  I  will  give  you  another  almost  as  heavenly 
— Miss  Anneke  Mordaunt !" 

"  Miss  Anneke  Mordaunt !"  was  echoed  round  the  table, 
and  I  soon  discovered  that  Anneke  was  a  general  favourite, 
and  a  very  common  toast  already  at  Albany. 

"  I  shall  now  ask  Mr.  Guert  Ten  Eyck  for  his  lady,"  I 
said,  as  soon  as  silence  was  restored,  there  being  very  little 
pause  between  the  cups  that  night. 

This  appeal  changed  the  whole  character  of  the  expres 
sion  of  Guert's  face.  It  became  grave  in  an  instant,  as  if 
the  recollection  of  her  whose  name  he  was  about  to  utter 
produced  a  pause  in  his  almost  fierce  mirth.  He  coloured, 
then  raised  his  eyes  and  looked  sternly  round  as  if  to  chal 
lenge  denial,  and  gave — 

"  Miss  Mary  Wallace." 

"  Ay,  Guert,  we  are  used  to  that  name,  now,"  said  Van 
Brunt,  a  little  drily.  "  This  is  the  tenth  time  I  have  heard 
it  from  you  within  two  months." 

"  You  will  be  likely  to  hear  it  twenty  more,  sir ;  for  I  shall 
give  Mary  Wallace,  and  nobody  but  Mary  Wallace,  while 
the  lady  remains  Mary  Wallace.  How,  now,  Mr.  Constable  ! 
What  may  be  the  reason  we  have  the  honour  of  a  visit 
from  you  at  this  time  of  night."* 

*  In  this  whole  affair  of  the  supper,  the  reader  will  find  incidents 
that  buar  a  striking  resemblance  to  certain  local  characteristics 
pourtrayed  by  Mrs.  Grant,  of  Laggan,  in  her  memoirs  of  an  Ameri 
can  Lady ;  thus  corroborating  the  fidelity  of  the  pictures  of  our 
ancient  manners,  as  given  by  that  respectable  writer,  by  the  unques 
tioned  authority  of  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage. — EDITOR. 


190  SATANSTOE. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"  Masters,  it  is  proved  already 
That  you  are  little  better  than  false  knaves ; 
And  it  will  go  near  to  be  thought  so,  shortly." 

Dogberry. 

THE  sudden  appearance  of  the  city  constable,  a  func« 
tionary  whose  person  was  not  unknown  to  most  of  the 
company,  brought  every  man  at  table  to  his  feet,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Worden,  Dirck  and  myself,  included.  For  my  own 
part,  I  saw  no  particular  reason  for  alarm,  though  it  at 
once  struck  me  that  this  visit  might  have  some  connection 
with  the  demolished  supper,  since  the  law  does  not,  in  all 
cases,  suffer  a  man  to  reclaim  even  his  own,  by  trick  or 
violence.  As  for  the  constable  himself,  a  short,  compact, 
snub-nosed,  Dutch-built  person,  who  spoke  English  as  if  it 
disagreed  with  his  bile,  he  was  the  coolest  of  the  whole 
party. 

"  Veil,  Mr.  Guert,"  he  said,  with  a  sort  of  good-natured 
growl  of  authority,  "  here  I  moost  coome  ag'in  !  Mr.  Mayor 
woult  be  happy  to  see  you,  and  ter  Tominie,  dat  ist  of  your 
party ;  and  ter  gentleman  dat  acted  as  clerk,  ven  he  lec 
tured  old  Doortje,  Mr.  Mayor's  cook." 

Mr.  Mayor's  cook !  Here,  then,  a  secret  was  out,  with  a 
vengeance !  Guert  had  not  reclaimed  his  own  lost  supper, 
which,  having  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Philistines,  was 
hopelessly  gone ;  but  he  had  actually  stolen  and  eaten  the 
supper  prepared  for  the  Mayor  of  Albany, — Peter  Cuyler, 
a  man  of  note,  and  standing,  in  all  respects ;  a  functionary 
who  had  held  his  office  from  time  immemorial ; — the  lamp 
was  the  symbol  of  authority,  and  not  the  sign  of  an  inn,  or 
an  eating-house; — the  supper,  moreover,  was  never  prepared 
for  one  man,  or  one  family,  but  had  certainly  been  got  up 
for  the  honourable  treatment  of  a  goodly  company; — fif 
teen  stout  men  had  mainly  appeased  their  appetites  on  it; 
and  the  fragments  were  that  moment  under  discussion 
among  half-a-dozen  large-mouthed,  shining  negro  faces,  in 
the  kitchen  !  Under  circumstances  like  these,  I  looked  in- 


SATANST0E.  191 

quiringly  at  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden — and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wor- 
den  looked  inquiringly  at  me.  There  was  no  apparent 
remedy,  however;  but,  after  a  brief  consultation  with  Guert, 
we,  the  summoned  parties,  took  our  hats  and  followed  Dog 
berry  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Mayor. 

"  You  are  not  to  be  uneasy,  gentlemen,  at  this  little  inter 
ruption  of  our  amusements,"  said  Guert,  dropping  in  be 
tween  Mr.  Worden  and  myself,  as  we  proceeded  on  our 
way,  "  these  things  happening  very  often  among  us.  You 
are  innocent,  you  know,  under  all  circumstances,  since  you 
supposed  that  the  supper  was  our  own — brought  back  by 
direct  means,  instead  of  having  recourse  to  the  shabby  de 
lays  of  the  law." 

"And  whose  supper  may  this  have  been,  sir,  that  we 
have  just  eaten  ?"  demanded  Mr.  Worden. 

"  Why,  there  can  be  no  harm,  now,  in  telling  you  the 
trut',  Dominie ;  and  I  will  own,  therefore,  it  belonged  in  law 
to  Mr.  Mayor  Cuyler.  There  is  no  great  danger,  however, 
as  you  will  see,  when  I  come  to  explain  matters.  You 
must  know  that  the  Mayor's  wife  was  a  Schuyler,  and  my 
mother  has  some  of  that  blood  in  her  veins,  and  we  count 
cousins  as  far  as  we  can  see,  in  Albany.  It  is  just  supping 
with  one's  relations,  a  little  out  of  the  common  way,  as  you 
will  perceive,  gentlemen." 

"  Have  you  dealt  fairly  with  Mr.  Littlepage  and  myself, 
sir,  in  this  affair?"  Mr.  Worden  asked,  a  little  sternly/  "  I 
might,  with  great  propriety,  lecture  to  a  cook,  on  the  eighth 
commandment,  when  that  cook  was  a  party  to  robbing  you 
of  your  supper;  but  how  shall  I  answer  to  His  Honour,  Mr. 
Mayor,  on  the  charge  which  will  now  be  brought  against 
me?  It  is  not  for  myself,  Mr.  Guert,  that  I  feel  so  much 
concern,  as  for  the  credit  and  reputation  of  my  sacred  office, 
and  that,  too,  among  your  disciples  of  the  schools  of 
Leyden !" 

"  Leave  it  all  to  me,  my  dear  Dominie — leave  it  all  to 
me,"  answered  Guert,  well  disposed  to  sacrifice  himself, 
rather  than  permit  a  friend  to  suffer.  "  I  am  used  to  these 
little  matters,  and  will  take  care  of  you." 

"  I  vill  answer  for  t'at,"  put  in  the  constable,  looking  over 
his  shoulder.  "  No  young  fly-away  in  A.\\ponny  hast  more 
knowletge  in  t'ese  matters  t'an  Mr.  Guert,  here.  If  any 


192  8ATANSTOE. 

potty  can  draw  his  heat  out  of  the  yoke,  Mr.  Guert  can. 
Yaas — yaas — he  know  all  apout  t'ese  little  matters,  sure 
enough." 

This  was  encouraging,  of  a  certainty  !  Our  associate 
was  so  well  known  for  his  tricks  and  frolics,  that  even  the 
constable  who  took  him  calculated  largely  on  his  address  in 
getting  out  of  scrapes  !  I  did  not  apprehend  that  any  of  us 
were  about  to  be  tried  and  convicted  of  a  downright  robbery  ; 
for  I  knew  how  far  the  Dutch  carried  their  jokes  of  this 
nature,  and  how  tolerant  the  seniors  were  to  their  juniors ; 
and  especially  how  much  all  men  are  disposed  to  regard  any 
exploit  of  the  sort  of  that  in  which  we  had  been  engaged, 
when  it  has  been  managed  adroitly,  and  in  a  way  to  excite 
a  laugh.  Still,  it  was  no  joke  to  rob  a  Mayor  of  his  supper, 
these  functionaries  usually  passing  to  their  offices  through 
the  probationary  grade  of  Alderman.*  Guert  was  not  free 
from  uneasiness,  as  was  apparent  by  a  question  he  put  to  the 
officer,  on  the  steps  of  Mr.  Cuyler's  house,  and  under  the 
very  light  of  the  official  lamp. 

"  How  is  the  old  gentleman,  this  evening,  Hans  ?"  the 
principal  asked,  with  some  little  concern  in  his  manner.  "  I 
hope  he  and  his  company  have  supped  ?" 

"  Veil,  t'at  is  more  t'an  I  can  telt  you,  Mr.  Guert.  He 
look't  more  as  like  himself,  when  he  hat  the  horse  t'ieves 
from  New  Englant  taken  up,  t'an  he  hast  for  many  a  tay. 
'Twas  most  too  pat,  Mr.  Guert,  to  run  away  wit'  the  Mayor's 
own  supper  !  I  coult  have  toll  you  who  hast  your  own  tucks 
and  venison." 

"  I  wish  you  had,  Hans,  with  all  my  heart ;  but  we  were 
hard  pushed,  and  had  a  strange  Dominie  to  feed.  You  know 
a  body  must  provide  well  for  company." 

*  The  American  Mayor  is  usually  a  different  person  from  the  Eng 
lish  Mayor.  Until  within  the  last  tive-and-twenty  or  thirty  years, 
the  Mayor  of  New  York  was  invariably  a  man  of  social  and  political 
importance,  belonging  strictly  to  the  higher  class  of  society.  The 
same  was  true  of  the  Mayor  of  Albany.  At  the  present  time,  the 
rule  has  been  so  far  enlarged,  as  to  admit  a  selection  from  all  of  the 
more  reputable  classes,  without  any  rigid  adherence  to  the  highest. 
The  elective  principle  has  produced  the  change.  During  the  writer's 
boyhood,  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  the  brother  of  the  late  Patroon,  was 
BO  long  Mayor  of  Albany,  as  to  be  universally  known  by  the  sobriquet 
of  u  The  Mayor." — EDITOR. 


S  ATANSTOE. 


193 


w  Yaas,  yaas  ;  I  understants  it,  and  knows  how  you  moost 
have  peen  nonplush't  to  do  sich  a  t'ing ;  put  it  was  mo-o-st 
too  pat.  Veil,  we  are  all  young,  afore  we  live  to  be  olt— 
t'at  effery  potty  knows." 

By  this  time  the  door -was  open,  and  we  entered.  Mr. 
Mayor  had  issued  orders  we  should  all  be  shown  into  the 
parlour,  where  I  rather  think,  from  what  subsequently  passed, 
he  intended  to  cut  up  Guert  a  little  more  than  common,  by 
exposing  him  before  the  eyes  of  a  particular  person.  At  all 
events,  the  reader  can  judge  of  my  horror,  at  finding  that 
the  party  whose  supper  I  had  just  helped  to  demolish,  con 
sisted,  in  addition  to  three  or  four  sons  and  daughters  of  the 
house,  of  Herman  Mordaunt,  Mary  Wallace,  and  Anneke ! 
Of  course,  everybody  knew  what  had  been  done;  but,  until 
we  entered  the  room,  Mr.  Mayor  alone  knew  who  had  done 
it.  Of  Mr.  Worden  and  myself  even,  he  knew  no  more 
than  he  had  learned  from  Dootje's  account  of  the  matter  ; 
and  the  cook,  quite  naturally,  had  represented  us  as  rogues 
feigning  our  divinity. 

Guert  was  a  thoroughly  manly  fellow,  and  he  did  us  the 
justice  to  enter  the  parlour  first.  Poor  fellow !  I  can  feel 
for  him,  even  at  this  distance  of  time,  when  his  eye  first  fell 
on  Mary  Wallace's  pallid  and  distressed  countenance.  It 
could  scarcely  be  less  than  I  felt  myself,  when  I  first  beheld 
Anneke's  flushed  features,  and  the  look  of  offended  propriety 
that  I  fancied  to  be  sparkling  in  her  estranged  eye. 

Mr.  Mayor  evidently  regarded  Mr.  Worden  with  surprise, 
as  indeed  he  did  me ;  for,  instead  of  strangers,  he  probably 
expected  to  meet  two  of  those  delinquents  whose  faces  were 
familiar  to  him,  by  divers  similar  jocular  depredations,  com 
mitted  within  the  limits  of  his  jurisdiction.  Then  the  cir 
cumstance  that  Mr.  Worden  was  a  real  Dominie,  could  not 
be  questioned  by  those  who  saw  him  standing,  as  he  did, 
face  to  face,  with  all  the  usual  signs  of  his  sacred  office  in 
his  dress  and  air." 

"  I  believe  there  must  be  some  mistake  here,  constable !" 
exclaimed  Mr.  Mayor.  "  Why  have  you  brought  these  two 
strange  gentlemen  along  with  Guert  Ten  Eyck  ?" 

•  My  orters,  Mr.  Mayor,  wast  to  pring  Dootje's  *  rapscallion 
Tominie,'  and  his  '  rapscallion  frient ;'  and  t'at  is  one,  and 
t'is  ist  t'ot'e.." 
1ST 


194  SATANSTOB 

"This  gentleman  has  the  appearance  of  being  a  real 
clergyman,  and  that  too,  of  the  church  of  England." 

"  Yaas,  Mr.  Mayor,  t'at  is  yoost  so.  He  wilt  preach 
fifteen  minutes  wit'out  stopping,  if  you  wilt  give  him  a  plack 
gownt ;  and  pray  an  hour  in  a  white  shirt."* 

"  Will  you  do  me  the  favour,  Guert  Ten  Eyck,  to  let  me 
have  the  names  of  the  strangers  I  have  the  pleasure  to  re 
ceive,"  said  the  mayor,  a  little  authoritatively. 

"Certainly,  Mr.  Mayor;  certainly,  and  with  very  great 
pleasure.  I  should  have  done  this  at  once,  had  we  been 
ushered  into  your  house  by  any  one  but  the  city  constable. 
Whenever  I  accompany  that  gentleman  anywhere,  I  always 
wait  to  ascertain  my  welcome." 

Guert  laughed  with  some  heart  at  this  allusion  to  his  own 
known  delinquencies,  while  Mr.  Cuyler  only  smiled.  1 
could  see,  notwithstanding  the  severe  measures  to  which  he 
had  resorted  in  this  particular  case,  that  the  last  was  not 
unfriendly  to  the  first,  and  that  our  friend  Guert  had  not 
fallen  literally  among  robbers,  in  being  brought  to  the  place 
where  we  were. 

"  This  reverend  dominie,"  continued  Guert,  as  soon  as 
he  had  had  his  laugh,  and  had  ventured  to  cast  a  short,  in 
quiring  glance  at  Mary  Wallace,  "  is  a  gentleman  from 
England,  Mr.  Mayor,  who  is  to  preach  in  St.  Peter's  the 
day  after  to-morrow,  by  special  invitation  from  the  chaplain  ; 
when,  I  make  no  doubt,  we  shall  all  be  much  edified ;  Miss 
Mary  Wallace  among  the  rest,  if  she  will  do  him  the  honour 
to  attend  the  service — good,  and  angelic,  and  forgiving,  as 
I  know  she  is  by  nature." 

This  speech  caused  all  eyes  to  turn  on  the  young  lady, 
whose  face  crimsoned,  though  she  made  no  reply.  I  now 
felt  satisfied  that  Guert's  manly,  frank,  avowed,  and  sincere 
admiration  had  touched  the  heart  of  Mary  Wallace,  while 

*  This  opinion  of  the  constable's  must  refer  to  the  notion  common 
amongst  the  non-Episcopal  sects,  that  the  value  of  spiritual  provender 
tras  to  be  measured  by  the  quantity.  Preaching,  however,  might  be 
overdone  in  the  Dutch  Reformed  Churches;  for,  quite  within  my  re. 
collection,  a  half-hour  glass  stood  on  the  pulpit  of  the  Dutch  edifice 
named  in  the  text,  to  regulate  the  dominie's  wind.  It  was  said  it 
might  be  turned  once  with  impunity;  but  wo  betide  him  who  should 
so  far  trespass  on  his  people's  patience  as  to  presume  to  turn  it  twice, 
— EDITOR. 


SATANSTOE.  195 

ner  reason  condemned  that  which  her  natural  tenderness 
encouraged;  and  the  struggle  in  her  mind 'was  then,  and 
long  after,  a  subject  of  curious  study  with  me.  As  foi 
Anneke,  I  thought  she  resented  this  somewhat  indiscreet,  not 
to  say  indelicate  though  indirect  avowal  of  his  feelings  to 
wards  his  mistress ;  and  that  she  looked  on  Guert  with  even 
more  coldness  than  she  had  previously  done.  Neither  of 
the  ladies,  however,  said  anything.  During  this  dumb-show, 
Mr.  Cuyler  had  leisure  to  recover  from  the  surprise  of  dis 
covering  that  one  of  his  prisoners  was  really  a  clergyman, 
and  to  inquire  who  the  other  might  be. 

"  That  gentleman,  then,  is  in  fact  a  clergyman !"  he 
answered.  "  You  have  forgotten  to  name  the  other,  Guert." 

"  This  is  Mr.  Corny  Littlepage,  Mr.  Mayor — the  only 
son  of  Major  Littlepage,  of  Satanstoe,  Westchester." 

The  Mayor  looked  a  little  puzzled,  and  I  believe  felt  some 
what  embarrassed  as  to  the  manner  in  which  he  ought  to 
proceed.  The  incursion  of  Guert  upon  his  premises  much 
exceeded  in  boldness,  anything  of  the  kind  that  had  ever 
before  occurred  in  Albany.  It  was  common  enough  for 
young  men  of  his  stamp  to  carry  off  poultry,  pigs,  &c., 
and  feast  on  the  spoils ;  and  cases  had  occurred,  as  I  after 
wards  learned,  in  which  rival  parties  of  thp-?e  depredators 
preyed  on  each  other  —  the  same  materials  for  a  supper 
having  been  known  to  change  hands  two  or  three  times 
before  they  were  consumed — but  no  one  had  ever  presumed, 
previously  to  this  evening,  to  make  an  inroad  even  on  Mr. 
Mayor's  hencoop,  much  less  to  molest  the  domains  of  his 
cook.  In  the  first  impulse  of  his  anger,  Mr.  Cuyler  had 
sent  for  the  constable ;  and  Guert's  club,  with  its  place  of 
meeting  being  well  known,  that  functionary  having  had 
many  occasions  to  visit  it,  the  latter  proceeded  thither  forth 
with.  It  is  probable,  however,  a  little  reflection  satisfied  the 
mayor  that  a  frolic  could  not  well  be  treated  as  a  larceny  ;  and 
that  Guert  had  some  of  his  own  wife's  blood  in  his  veins. 
When  he  came  to  find  that  two  respectable  strangers  were 
implicated  in  the  affair,  one  of  whom  was  actually  a  clergy 
man,  this  charitable  feeling  was  strengthened,  and  he  changed 
his  course  of  proceeding. 

"  You  can  return  home,  Hans,"  said  Mr.  Mayor,  very 
sensibly  mollified  in  his  manner.  "  Should  there  be  occa- 


196  SATANSTOE 

sion  for  your  further  services,  I  will  send  for  you.  Now 
gentlemen,"  as  soon  as  the  door  closed  on  the  constable,  «*] 
will  satisfy  you  that  old  Peter  Cnyler  can  cover  a  table,  and 
feed  his  friends,  even  though  Guert  Ten  Eyck  be  so  near  a 
neighbour.  Miss  Wallace,  will  vou  allow  me  the  honour  to 
lead  you  to  the  table  ?  Mr.  Worden  will  see  Mrs.  Cuyler, 
in  safety,  to  the  same  place." 

On  this  hint,  the  missionary  stepped  forward  with  ala 
crity,  and  led  Mrs.  Mayoress  after  Mary  Wallace,  with  the 
utmost  courtesy.  Guert  did  the  same  to  one  of  the  young 
ladies  of  the  house  ;  Anneke  was  led  in  by  one  of  the  young 
men ;  and  I  took  the  remaining  young  lady,  who,  I  pre 
sumed,  was  also  one  of  the  family.  ,It  was  very  apparent 
we  were  respited  ;  and  all  of  us  thought  it  wisest  to  appear 
as  much  at  our  ease  as  possible,  in  order  not  to  balk  the 
humour  of  the  principal  magistrate  of  the  ancient  town  of 
Albany. 

To  do  Mr.  Mayor  justice,  the  lost  time  had  been  so  well 
improved  by  Doortje,  that,  on  looking  around  the  table,  I 
thought  the  supper  to  which  we  were  thus  strangely  invited, 
was,  of  the  two,  the  best  I  had  seen  that  evening.  Luckily, 
game  was  plenty ;  and,  by  means  of  quails,  partridges, 
oysters,  venison  patties,  and  other  dishes  of  that  sort,  the 
cook  had  managed  to  send  up  quite  as  good  a  supper,  at  ten 
o'clock,  as  she  had  previously  prepared  for  nine. 

I  will  not  pretend  that  I  felt  quite  at  my  ease,  as  I  took 
my  seat  at  the  table,  for  the  second  time  that  night.  All  the 
younger  members  of  the  party  looked  exceedingly  grave,  as 
if  they  could  very  well  dispense  with  our  company  ;  the  old 
people  alone  appearing  to  enter  into  the  scene  with  any 
spirit.  Anneke  did  not  even  look  at  me,  after  the  first 
astounded  look  given  on  my  entrance ;  nor  did  Mary  Wal 
lace  once  cast  her  eyes  towards  Guert,  when  we  reached 
the  supper-room.  Mr.  Mayor,  notwithstanding,  had  deter 
mined  to  laugh  off  the  affair;  and  he  and  Mr.  Worden  soon 
became  excellent  friends,  and  began  to  converse  freely  and 
naturally. 

"  Come,  cousin  Guert,"  cried  Mr.  Mayor,  after  two  or 
three  glasses  of  Madeira  had  still  further  warmed  his  heart., 
"  fill,  and  pledge  me — unless  you  prefer  to  give  a  lady.  If 


8  A  TANS  TOE.  197 

the  last,  everybody  will  drink  to  her,  with  hearty  good-will. 
You  eat  nothing,  and  must  drink  the  more." 

"All !  Mr.  Mayor,  I  have  toasted  one  lady,  to-night,  and 
cannot  toast  another." 

"  Not  present  company  excepted,  my  boy  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  not  even  with  that  license.  I  pledge  you,  with 
all  my  heart,  and  thank  you,  with  all  my  heart,  for  this  gene 
rous  treatment,  after  my  own  foolish  frolic  ; — but,  you  know 
how  it  is,  Mr.  Mayor,  with  us  Albany  youths,  when  our 
pride  is  up,  and  a  supper  must  be  had — " 

"  Not  I,  Guert ;  I  know  nothing  about  it ;  but  should  very 
well  like  to  learn.  How  came  you,  in  the  first  place,  to 
take  such  a  fancy  to  my  cook's  supper  ?  Did  you  imagine 
it  better  than  Van  Brunt's  cook  could  give  you  ?" 

"  The  supper  of  Arent  Van  Brunt's  cook  has  disappeared 
—gone  on  the  hill,  I  fancy,  among  the  red-coats ;  and,  to 
own  the  truth,  Mr.  Mayor,  it  was  yours,  or  nothing.  I  had 
invited  these  gentlemen  to  pass  the  evening  with  us.  One 
of  our  blacks  happened  to  mention  what  was  going  on  here, 
and  hospitality  led  us  all  astray.  It  was  nothing  more,  I  do 
assure  you,  Mr.  Mayor." 

"And  so  your  hospitable  feelings  made  your  guests  work 
for  their  supper,  by  sending  them  to  preach  to  old  Doortje, 
while  you  were  dishing  up  my  ducks  and  game?" 

"  Your  pardon,  Mr.  Mayor ;  Doortje  had  dished-up,  before 
she  went  to  lecture.  Your  cook  is  too  well  trained  to  neg 
lect  her  duty,  even  to  hear  a  sermon  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wor- 
den!  But,  these  gentlemen  were  quite  as  much  deceived  as 
the  old  woman ;  for,  they  supposed  we  were  after  our  own 
lost  goods,  and  did  not  know  that  you  dwelt  here ;  and  were 
as  much  my  dupes  as  old  Doortje  herself.  Truth  obliges  me 
to  own  this  much,  in  their  justification." 

There  was  a  general  clearing  up  of  countenances,  at 
this  frank  avowal ;  and  I  saw  that  Anneke,  herself,  turned 
her  looks  inquiringly  upon  the  speaker,  and  suffered  a  smile 
to  relieve  the  extreme  gravity  of  her  sweet  countenance. 
From  that  moment,  a  very  sensible  change  came  over  the 
feelings  and  deportment  of  the  younger  part  of  the  company, 
and  the  conversation  became  easier  and  more  natural.  It 
was  certainly  much  in  our  favour  to  have  it  known,  we  had 
not  officiously  and  boyishly  joined  in  a  gratuitous  attempt 
17* 


1 98  SATANSTOE. 

to  rob  and  insult  this  particular  and  unoffending  family,  but 
that  Mr.  Worden  and  I  supposed  we  were  simply  aiding  in 
getting  back  those  things  which  properly  belonged  to  our 
hosts,  and  getting  them  back,  too,  in  a  manner  of  which  the 
party  we  supposed  we  were  acting  against,  would  certainly 
have  no  right  to  complain,  inasmuch  as  they  had  set  the 
example.  Guert  was  encouraged  to  go  on  further  with  his 
explanations;  which  he  did,  in  his  own  honest,  candid 
manner,  exculpating  us,  in  effect,  from  everything  but  being 
a  little  too  much  disposed  to  waggery,  for  a  minister  of  the 
church,  and  his  pupil,  who  had  just  commenced  his  travels. 

Anneke's  face  brightened  up,  more  and  more,  as  the  ex 
planations  proceeded ;  and,  soon  after  they  were  ended,  she 
turned  to  me  in  a  very  gracious  manner,  and  inquired  after 
my  mother.  As  I  sat  directly  opposite  to  her,  and  the  table 
was  narrow,  we  could  converse  without  attracting  much  at 
tention  to  ourselves ;  Mr.  Mayor  and  his  other  guests  keep 
ing  up  a  round  of  reasonably  noisy  jokes,  on  the  events  of 
the  evening,  nearer  the  foot  of  the  table. 

"  You  find  some  customs  in  Albany,  Mr.  Littlepage,  that 
are  not  known  to  us,  in  New  York,"  Anneke  observed, 
after  a  few  preliminary  remarks  had  opened  the  way  to  fur 
ther  communication. 

"  I  scarce  know,  Miss  Anneke,  whether  you  allude  to 
what  has  occurred  this  evening,  or  to  what  occurred  this 
afternoon  ?" 

"  To  both,  I  believe,"  answered  Anneke,  smiling,  though 
she  coloured,  as  I  thought,  with  a  species  of  feminine  vexa 
tion  ;  "  for,  certainly,  one  is  no  more  a  custom  with  us  than 
the  other." 

"  I  have  been  most  unfortunate,  Miss  Mordaunt,  in  the 
exhibitions  I  have  made  of  myself  in  the  course  of  the  few 
hours  I  have  passed  in  this,  to  me,  strange  place.  I  am 
afraid  you  regard  me  as  little  more  than  an  overgrown  boy 
who  has  been  permitted  by  his  parents  to  leave  home  sooner 
than  he  ought." 

"  This  is  your  construction,  and  not  mine,  Mr.  Little- 
page.  I  suppose,  you  know — but,  we  will  talk  of  this  in  the 
other  room,  or  at  some  other  time." 

I  took  the  hint,  and  said  no  more  on  the  subject  while  at 
table.  Mr.  Mayor,  I  suppose  in  consideration  of  our  having 


SATANSTOE.  199 

gone  through  the  exactions  of  one  feast  already  that  even* 
ing,  permited  us  to  leave  the  supper-room  much  earlier  than 
common,  and  the  hour  being  late,  the  whole  party  broke  up 
immediately  afterwards.  Before  we  separated,  however, 
Herman  Mordaunt  approached  me,  in  a  friendly,  free  way, 
and  invited  me  to  come  to  his  house  at  eight  next  morning 
to  breakfast,  requesting  the  pleasure  of  Dirck's  company  at 
the  same  time;  the  invitation  to  the  latter  going  through 
me.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  how  gladly  I  accepted, 
and  how  much  I  was  relieved  by  this  termination  of  an  ad 
venture  that,  at  one  moment,  menaced  me  with  deep  dis 
grace.  Had  Mr.  Mayor  seen  fit  to  pursue  the  affair  of  the 
abstraction  of  his  first  supper  in  a  serious  vein,  although 
the  legal  consequences  could  not  probably  have  amounted 
to  anything  very  grave,  they  might  prove  very  ridiculous ; 
and  I  have  no  doubt  they  would  have  brought  about  a  very 
abrupt  termination  of  my  visit  to  the  north.  As  it  was,  my 
mind  was  vastly  relieved,  as  I  believe  was  the  case  also 
with  that  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden. 

"  Corny,"  said  that  gentleman,  after  we  had  wished  Guert 
good-night,  and  were  well  on  our  way  to  the  inn  again, 
"  this  second  supper  has  helped  surprisingly  to  digest  the 
first.  I  doubt  if  our  new  acquaintance,  here,  will  be  likely 
to  turn  out  very  profitable  to  us." 

"  Yet,  sir,  you  appeared  to  take  to  him  exceedingly,  and 
I  had  thought  you  excellent  friends." 

"  I  like  the  fellow  well  enough  too ;  for  he  is  hearty,  and 
frank,  and  good-natured ;  but  there  was  some  little  policy  in 
keeping  on  good  terms  with  him.  I  'm  afraid,  Corny,  I  did 
not  altogether  consult  the  dignity  of  my  holy  office,  this 
morning,  on  the  ice!  It  is  exceedingly  unbecoming  in  a 
clergyman,  to  be  seen  ru'nning  in  a  public  place  like  a  school 
boy,  or  a  youngster  contending  in  a  match.  I  thought, 
moreover,  I  overheard  one  of  those  young  Dutchmen  call 
me  the  4  Loping  Dominie ;'  and  so,  taking  altogether,  it 
struck  me  it  would  be  wisest  to  keep  on  good  terms  with  this 
Guert  Ten  Eyck." 

"  I  see  your  policy,  sir,  and  it  does  not  become  me  to  deny 
it.  As  for  myself,  I  confess  1  like  Guert  surprisingly,  and 
shall  not  give  him  up  easily;  though  he  has  already  got  me 
into  two  serious  scrapes  in  the  short  time  we  have  been  ao 


200  SATANSTOE. 

quainted.  He  is  a  hearty,  good-natured,  thoughtless  young 
fellow ;  who,  Dutchman-like^  when  he  does  make  an  attempt 
to  Qnjoy  life,  does  it  with  all  his  heart." 

I  then  related  the  affair  of  the  hand-sled  to  Mr.  Worden, 
who  gave  me  some  of  that  sort  of  consolation,  of  which  a 
man  receives  a  great  deal,  as  he  elbows  his  'way  through 
this  busy,  selfish  world. 

"  Well,  Corny,"  said  my  old  master,  "  I  am  not  certain 
you  did  not  look  more  like  a  fool,  as  you  rolled  over  from 
that  sled,  than  I  looked  while  '  loping'  from  our  friends  in 
the  sleigh  !" 

We  both  laughed  as  we  entered  the  tavern  ;  I,  to  conceal 
the  vexation  I  really  felt,  and  Mr.  Worden,  as  I  presume, 
because  he  was  flattered  with  the  belief  that  I  must  have 
appeared  quite  as  ridiculous  as  himself. 

Next  morning  I  proceeded  to  Herman  Mordaunt's  resi 
dence  at  the  earliest  hour  the  rules  of  society  would  allow. 
I  found  the  family  established  in  one  of  those  Dutch  edifices, 
of  which  Albany  was  mainly  composed,  and  which  stood  a 
little  removed  from  the  street — having  a  tiny  yard  in  front, 
with  the  stoop  in  the  gable,  and  that  gable  towards  the  yard. 
The  battlement-walls  of  this  house  diminished  towards  the 
high  apex  of  a  very  steep  roof  by  steps,  as  we  are  all  so 
much  accustomed  to  see,  and  the  whole  was  surmounted  by 
an  iron  weathercock,  that  was  perched  on  a  rod  of  some 
elevation.  It  was  always  a  matter  of  importance  with  the 
Dutch  to  know  which  way  the  wind  blew;  nor  did  it  com 
port  with  their  habits  of  minute  accuracy,  to  trust  to  the 
usual  indications  of  the  feeling  on  the  skin,  the  bending  of 
branches,  the  flying  of  clouds,  or  the  driving  of  smoke  ;  but 
they  must  and  would  have  the  certainty  of  a  machine,  that 
was  constructed  expressly  to  let  thenrknow  the  fact.  Smoke 
might  err,  but  a  weathercock  would  not ! 

No  one  was  in  the  little  parlour  into  which  I  was  shown 
by  the  servant  who  admitted  me  to  the  house,  and  in  whom. 
I  recognised  Herman  Mordaunt's  principal  male  attendant, 
of  the  household  in  New  York.  How  pleasantly  did  that 
little  room  appear  to  me,  in  the  minute  or  two  that  I  was 
left  in  it  alone.  There  lay  the  very  shawl  that  Anneke  had 
on,  the  day  I  met  her  in  the  Pinkster  Field;  and  a  pair  of 
gloves  that  it  seemed  to  me  no  other  hands  but  hers  were 


SATANSTOE.  201 

small  enough  to  wear,  had  been  thrown  on  the  shawl,  care 
lessly,  as  one  casts  aside  a  thing  of  that  sort,  in  a  hurry. 
A  dozen  other  articles  were  put  here  and  there,  that  denoted 
the  habits  and  presence  of  females  of  refinement.  But  the 
gloves  most  attracted  my  attention,  and  I  must  needs  rise 
and  examine  them.  It  is  true,  these  gloves  might  belong  to 
Mary  Wallace,  for  she,  too,  had  a  pretty  little  hand,  but  I 
fancied  they  belonged  to  Anneke.  Under  this  impression, 
I  raised  them  to  my  lips,  and  was  actually  pressing  them 
there,  with  a  good  deal  of  romantic  feeling,  when  a  light 
footstep  in  the  room  told  me  I  was  not  alone.  Dropping  the 
gloves,  I  turned  and  beheld  Anneke  herself.  She  was  re 
garding  me  with  an  expression  of  countenance  I  did  not  then 
know  how  to  interpret,  and  which  I  now  hardly  know  how 
to  describe.  In  the  first  place,  her  charming  countenance 
was  suffused  with  blushes,  while  her  eyes  were  filled  with  an 
expression  of  softened  interest,  that  caused  my  heart  to  beat 
so  violently,  that  I  did  not  know  but  it  would  escape  by  the 
channel  of  the  throat.  How  near  I  was  to  declaring  all  I 
felt,  at  that  moment ;  of  throwing  myself  at  the  feet  of  the 
dear,  dear  creature,  and  of  avowing  how  much  and  engross- 
ingly  she  had  filled  both  my  waking  and  sleeping  thoughts 
during  the  last  year,  and  of  beseeching  her  to  bless  the  re 
mainder  of  my  days,  by  becoming  my  wife  !  Nothing  pre 
vented  this  sally,  but  the  remark  which  Anneke  made, 
the  instant  she  had  gracefully  curtsied,  in  return  to  my 
confused  and  awkward  bow,  and  which  happened  to  be  this  : 

"  What  do  you  find  so  much  to  admire  in  Miss  Wallace's 
gloves?"  asked  the  wilful  girl,  biting  her  lip,  as  I  fancied, 
to  suppress  a  smile,  though  her  cheeks  were  still  suffused, 
and  her  eyes  continued  to  give  forth  that  indescribable  ex 
pression  of  bewitching  softness.  "  It  is  a  pair  my  father 
presented  to  her,  and  she  wore  them  last  evening  in  com 
pliment  to  him." 

"  I  beg  pardon,  Miss  Mordaunt — Miss  Anneke — that  is — 
I  beg  pardon.  Is  there  not  a  very  delightful  odour  about 
those  gloves — that  is,  I  was  thinking  so,  and  was  endea 
vouring  to  ascertain  what  it  might.be  by  the  scent." 

"  It  must  be  the  lavender  with  which  we  young  ladies  are 
BO  coquettish  as  to  sprinkle  our  gloves  and  handkerchiefs — 
or  it  may  be  musk.  Mary  is  rather  fond  of  musk,  though 


202  SATANSTOE, 

I  prefer  lavender.  But  what  an  evening  we  had,  Mr.  Lit* 
tlepage  !  and  what  an  introduction  you  have  had  to  Albany . 
and  most  of  all,  what  a  master  of  ceremonies !" 

"  Do  you  then  dislike  Guert  Ten  Eyck  as  an  acquaint 
ance,  Miss  Anneke?" 

"  Far  from  it.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  dislike  Guert ; 
he  is  so  manly  ;  so  ready  to  admit  his  own  weaknesses  ,*  so 
sincere  in  all  he  does  and  says;  so  good  natured ;  and,  in 
short,  so  much  that,  were  one  his  sister,  she  might  wish  him 
to  be,  and  yet  so  much  that  a  sister  must  regret." 

"  I  thought  last  evening  that  all  the  ladies  felt  an  interest 
in  him,  notwithstanding  the  numberless  wild  and  ill-judged 
things  he  does.  Is  he  not  a  favourite  with  Miss  Wallace?" 

The  quick,  sensitive  glance  that  Anneke  gave  me,  said 
plainly  enough  that  my  question  was  indiscreet,  and  it  was  no 
sooner  put  than  it  was  regretted.  A  shadow  passed  athwart 
the  sweet  face  of  my  companion,  and  a  moment  of  deep, 
and,  as  I  fancied,  of  painful  thought  succeeded.  Then  a 
light  broke  over  all,  a  smile  illumined  her  features,  after 
which  a  light  girlish  laugh  came  to  show  how  active  were 
the  agents  within,  and  how  strong  was  the  native  tendency 
to  happiness  and  humour. 

"  After  all,  Corny  Littlepage,"  said  Anneke,  turning  her 
face  towards  me  with  an  indescribable  character  of  fun  and 
feeling  so  blended  in  it,  as  fairly  to  puzzle  me,  "  you  must 
admit  that  your  exploit  in  the  hand-sled  was  sufficiently 
ridiculous  to  last  a  young  man  for  some  time !" 

"I  confess  it  all,  Anneke,  and  shall  have  a  care  how  I 
turn  boy  again  in  a  strange  place.  I  am  rejoiced  to  find, 
however,  that  you  look  upon  the  foolish  affair  of  the  slide 
as  more  grave  than  that  of  the  supper,  which  I  was  fearful 
might  involve  me  in  serious  disgrace." 

"  Neither  is  very  serious,  Mr.  Littlepage,  though  the  last 
might  have  proved  awkward,  had  not  the  Mayor  known  the 
ways  of  the  young  men  of  the  town.  They  say,  however, 
that  nothing  so  bold  has  ever  before  been  attempted  in  that 
way,  in  Albany,  great  as  are  the  liberties  that  are  often 
taken  with  the  neighbours'  hen-coops." 

And  she  laughed,  and  this  time  it  was  naturally,  and 
without  the  least  restraint. 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  think  it  shabby  in  me,  if  I  seem  to 


SATANSTOE.  203 

wish  to  throw  all  the  blame  on  this  harum-scarum  Guert 
Ten  Eyck.  He  drew  me  into  both  affairs,  and  into  the  last, 
in  a  great  measure,  innocently  and  ignorantly." 

"  So  it  is  understood,  and  so  it  would  be  understood,  the 
moment  Guert  Ten  Eyck  was  found  to  be  connected  with 
the  affair  at  all." 

"I  may  hope,  then,  to  be  forgiven,  Anneke?"  I  said, 
holding  out  a  hand  to  invite  her  to  accept  it  as  a  pledge  of 
pardon. 

Anneke  did  not  prudishly  decline  putting  her  own  little 
hand  in  mine,  though  I  got  only  the  ends  of  two  or  three 
slender  delicate  fingers;  and  her  colour  .increased  as  she 
bestowed  this  grace. 

"  You  must  ask  forgiveness,  Corny,"  she  answered, — 1 
believe  she  now  used  this  familiar  name  simply  to  show 
how  completely  she  had  forgotten  the  little  spleen  she  had 
certainly  felt  at  my  untoward  exhibition  in  the  street. — 
"  You  must  ask  forgiveness  of  those  who  possess  the  right 
to  pardon.  If  Corny  Littlepage  chooses  to  slide  down  hill, 
like  a  boy,  what  right  has  Anneke  Mordaunt  to  say  him 
nay  ?" 

"  Every  right  in  the  world — the  right  of  friendship — the 
right  of  a  superior  mind,  of  superior  manners — the  right 
that  my " 

"  Hush  ! — that  is  Mr.  Bulstrode's  footstep  in  the  passage, 
and  he  will  not  understand  this  discussion  on  the  subject  of 
my  manifold  rights.  It  takes  him  some  time,  however,  to 
throw  aside  his  overcoats,  and  furs,  and  sword ;  and  I  will 
just  tell  you  that  Guert  Ten  Eyck  is  a  dangerous  master  of 
ceremonies  for  Corny  Littlepage." 

"  Yet,  he  has  sense  enough,  feeling  enough,  heart  enough 
to  admire  and  love  Mary  Wallace." 

"  Has  'he  told  you  this,  so  soon  !  But,  I  need  not  ask,  as 
he  tells  his  love  to  every  one  who  will  listen." 

"  And  to  Miss  Wallace  herself,  I  trust,  among  the  num 
ber.  The  man  who  loves,  and  loves  truly,  should  not  long 
permit  its  object  to  remain  in  any  doubt  of  his  feelings  and 
intentions.  It  has  ever  appeared  to  me,  Miss  Mordaunt,  as 
a  most  base  and'  dastardly  feeling  in  a  man  to  wish  to  be 
certain  of  a  woman's  returning  his  love,  before  he  has  the 
manliness  to  let  his  mistress  understand  his  wishes.  How 


204  SATANSTOK. 

is  a  sensitive  female  to  know  when  she  is  safe  in  yielding 
her  affections,  without  this  frankness  on  the  part  of  her 
suitor?  I'll  answer  for  it  that  Guert  Ten  Eyck  has  dealt 
thus  honestly  and  frankly  with  Mary  Wallace." 

"  That  is  a  merit  which  cannot  be  denied  him,"  answered 
Anneke,  in  a  low,  thoughtful  tone  of  voice.  "  Mary  has 
heard  this  from  his  own  mouth,  again  and  again.  Even 
my  presence  has  been  no  obstacle  to  his  declarations,  foi 
three  times  have  I  heard  him  beg  Mary  to  consider  him  as 
a  suitor  for  her  hand,  and  entreat  her  not  to  decide  on  his 
offer  until  he  has  had  a  longer  opportunity  to  win  hei 
esteem." 

"And  this  you  will  admit,  Miss  Mordaunt,  is  to  his  credit, 
is  manly,  and  like  himself?" 

"  It  is  certainly  frank  and  honourable,  Mr.  Littlepage, 
since  it  enables  Miss  Wallace  to  understand  the  object  of 
his  attentions,  and  leaves  nothing  to  doubt,  or  uncertainty." 

"  I  am  glad  you  approve  of  such  fair  and  frank  proceed 
ings  ; — though  but  a  moment  remains  to  say  what  I  wish, 
it  will  suffice  to  add,  that  the  course  Guert  Ten  Eyck  has 
aken  towards  Mary  Wallace,  Cornelius  Littlepage  would 
wish  to  pursue  towards  Anneke  Mordaunt." 

Anneke  started,  turned  pale;  then  showed  cheeks  that 
were  suffused  with  blushes,  and  looked  at  me  with  timid 
surprise.  She  made  no  answer ;  though  that  earnest,  yet 
timid  gaze,  long  remained,  and  for  that  matter,  still  remains, 
vividly  impressed  upon  my  recollection.  It  seemed  to  ex 
press  astonishment,  startled  sensibility,  feminine  bashful- 
ness,  and  maiden  coyness ;  but  it  did  not  appear  to  me  that 
it  expressed  displeasure.  There  was  no  time,  however,  to 
ask  for  explanations,  since  the  voices  of  Herman  Mordaunt 
and  Bulstrode  were  now  heard  at  the  very  door,  and,  at  th« 
next  instant,  both  entered  the  room. 


8ATANSTOE.  205 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

«  My  beautiful !  my  beautiful  !  that  standest  meekly  by, 
With  thy  proudly  arch'd  and  glossy  neck,  and  dark  and  fiery  eye- 
Thus,  thus  I  leap  upon  thy  back,  and  scour  the  distant  plains : 
Away  !   who  overtakes  me  now,  shall  claim  thee  for  his  pains." 

The  Arab  to  his  Steed. 

BULSTRODE  seemed  happy  to  meet  me,  complaining  that 
I  had  quite  forgotten  the  satisfaction  with  which  all  New 
York,  agreeably  to  his  account  of  the  matter,  had  received 
me  the  past  spring.  Of  course,  I  thanked  him  for  his  civi 
lity;  and 'we  soon  became  as  good  friends  as  formerly.  In 
a  minute  or  two,  Mary  Wallace  joined  us,  and  we  all  re 
paired  to  the  breakfast-table,  where  we  were  soon  joined  by 
Dirck,  who  had  been  detained  by  some  affairs  of  his  own. 

Herman  Mordaunt  and  Bulstrode  had  the  conversation 
principally  to  themselves  for  the  first  few  minutes.  Mary 
Wallace  was  habitually  silent ;  but  Anneke,  without  being 
loquacious,  was  sufficiently  disposed  to  converse.  This 
morning,  however,  she  said  little  beyond  what  the  civilities 
of  the  table  required  from  the  mistress  of  the  house,  and 
that  little  in  as  few  words  as  possible.  Once  or  twice  I 
could  not  help  remarking  that  her  hand  remained  on  the 
handle  of  a  richly-chased  tea-pot,  after  that  hand  had  per 
formed  its  office ;  and  that  her  sweet,  deep  blue  eye  was 
fixed  on  vacancy,  or  on  some  object  before  her  with  a  va 
cant  regard,  in  the  manner  of  one  that  thought  intensely. 
Each  time  as  she  recovered  from  these  .little  reveries,  a 
slight  flush  appeared  on  her  face,  and  she  seemed  anxious 
to  conceal  the  involuntary  abstraction.  This  absence  of 
mind  continued  until  Bulstrode,  who  had  been  talking  with 
our  host  on  the  subject  of  the  movements  of  the  army,  sud 
denly  directed  his  discourse  to  me. 

"  I  hope  we  owe  this  visit  to  Albany,"  he  said,  "  to  an 
intention  on  your  part,  Mr.  Littlepage,  to  make  one  among 
us  in  the  next  campaign.  I  hear  of  many  gentlemen  of  the 
colonies  who  intend  to  accompany  us  in  our  march  to 
Quebec." 

18 


$06  SATANSTOE. 

"  That  is  somewhat  farther  than  I  had  thought  of  goin$ 
Mr.  Bulstrode,"  was  my  answer,  "  inasmuch  as  I  have 
never  supposed  the  king's  forces  contemplated  quite  so  dis 
tant  a  march.  It  is  the  intention  of  Mr.  Pollock  and  my 
self  to  get  permission  to  attach  ourselves  to  some  regiment, 
and  to  go  forward  as  far  as  Ticonderoga,  at  least ;  for  we 
do  not  like  the  idea  of  the  French  holdfag  a  post  like  that, 
so  far  within  the  limits  of  our  own  province." 

"  Bravely  said,  sir ;  and  I  trust  I  shall  be  permitted  to  be 
of  some  assistance  when  the  time  comes  to  settle  details. 
Our  mess  would  always  be  happy  to  see  you ;  and  you 
know  that  I  am  at  its  head,  since  the  Lt.  Colonel  has  left 
us." 

I  returned  my  thanks,  and  the  discourse  took  another 
direction. 

"  I  met  Harris,  as  I  was  walking  hither  this  morning," 
Bulstrode  continued,  "  and  he  gave  me,  in  his  confused  Irish 
way — for  I  insist  he  is  Irish,  although  he  was  born  in  Lon 
don — but  he  gave  me  a  somewhat  queer  account  of  a  supper 
he  was  at  last  night,  which  he  said  had  been  borne  off  by  a 
foraging  party  of  young  Albanians,  and  brought  into  the  bar 
racks,  as  a  treat  to  some  of  our  gentlemen.  This  was  bad 
enough,  though  they  tell  me  a  Dutchman  always  pardons 
such  a  frolic;  but  Harris  makes  the  matter  much  worse, 
by  adding  that  the  supperless  party  indemnified  itself  by 
making  an  attack  on  the  kitchen  of  Mr.  Mayor,  and  carry 
ing  off  his  ducks  and  partridges,  in  a  way  to  leave  him 
without  even  a  potatoe  !" 

I  felt  that  my  face  was  as  red  as  scarlet,  and  I  fancied 
everybody  was  looking  at  me,  while  Herman  Mordaunt 
took  on  himself  the  office  of  making  a  reply. 

"  The  story  does  not  lose  in  travelling,  as  a  matter  of 
course,"  answered  our  host,  "  though  it  is  true  in  the  main. 
We  all  supped  with  Mr.  Cuyler  last  evening,  and  know  that 
he  had  much  more  than  a  potatoe  on  the  table." 

"All!— What,  the  ladies?" 

"  Even  to  the  ladies — and  Mr.  Littlepape  in  the  bargain,' 
returned  Herman  Mordaunt,  casting  a  glance  at  me,  and 
smiling.  "  Each  and  all  of  us  will  testify  he  not  only  had 
a  plenty  of  supper,  but  that  which  was  good." 

"  I  see  by  the  general  smile,"  cried  Bulstrode,  "  that  there 


SATANSTOB.  207 

19  a  sow*  entendu  here,  and  shall  insist  on  being  admitted 
to  the  secret." 

Herman  Mordaunt  now  told  the  whole  story,  not  being 
particularly  careful  to  conceal  the  more  ludicrous  parts, 
dwelling  with  some  emphasis  on  the  lecture  Mr.  Worden 
had  delivered  to  Doortje,  and  appealing  to  me  to  know  whe 
ther  I  did  not  think  it  excellent.  Bulstrode  laughed,  of 
course ;  though  I  fancied  both  the  young  ladies  wished  no 
thing  had  been  said  on  the  subject.  Anneke  even  attempted, 
once  or  twice,  to  divert  her  father  from  certain  comments 
that  he  made,  in  which  he  spoke  rather  lightly  of  such  sort 
of  amusements,  in  general. 

"  That  Guert  Ten  Eyck  is  a  character !"  exclaimed  Bui- 
strode,  "  and  one  I  am  sometimes  at  a  loss  to  comprehend. 
A  more  manly-looking,  fine,  bold  young  fellow,  I  do  not 
know ;  and  he  is  often  as  manly  and  imposing  in  his  opin 
ions  and  judgments,  as  he  is  to  the  eye ;  while,  at  times,  he 
is  almost  childish  in  his  tastes  and  propensities.  How  do 
you  account  for  this,  Miss  Anneke  ?" 

"  Simply,  that  nature  intended  Guert  Ten  Eyck  for  better 
things  than  accident  and  education,  or  the  want  of  educa 
tion,  have  enabled  him  to  become.  Had  Guert  Ten  Eyck 
been  educated  at  Oxford,  he  would  have  been  a  very  different 
man  from  what  he  is.  If  a  man  has  only  the  instruction 
of  a  boy,  he  will  long  remain  a  boy." 

I  was  surprised  at  the  boldness  and  decision  of  this  opinion, 
for  it  was  not  Anneke's  practice  to  be  so  open  in  delivering 
her  sentiments  of  others ;  but,  it  was  not  long  ere  I  disco 
vered  that  she  did  not  spare  Guert,  in  the  presence  of  her 
friend,  from  a  deep  conviction  he  was  not  worthy  of  the 
hold  he  was  sensibly  gaining  on  the  feelings  of  Mary  Wal 
lace.  Herman  Mordaunt,  as  I  fancied,  favoured  his  daugh 
ter's  views  in  this  behalf;  and  there  was  soon  occasion  to 
observe  that  poor  Guert  had  no  other  »ily,  in  that  family, 
than  the  one  his  handsome,  manly  person,  open  disposition, 
and  uncommon  frankness  had  created  in  his  mistress's  own 
bosom.  There  was  certainly  a  charm  in  Guert's  habitual 
manner  of  underrating  himself,  that  inclined  all  who  heard 
him  to  his  side ;  and,  for  myself,  I  will  confess  I  early  be 
came  his  friend  in  all  that  matter,  and  so  continued  to  the 
last. 


208  8ATAN8TOE. 

Bulstrode  and  I  left  the  house  together,  walking  arm  and 
arm  to  his  quarters,  leaving  Dirck  with  the  ladies. 

"  This  is  a  charming  family,"  said  my  companion,  as  we 
left  the  door ;  "  and  I  feel  proud  of  being  able  to  claim  some 
affinity  to  it,  though  it  is  not  so  near  as  I  trust  it  may  one 
day  become." 

I  started,  almost  twitching  my  arm  away  from  that  of  the 
Major's,  turning  half  round,  at  the  same  instant,  to  look  him 
in  the  face.  Bulstrode  smiled,  but  preserved  his  own  self- 
possession,  in  the  stoical  manner  common  to  men  of  fashion 
and  easy  manners,  pursuing  the  discourse. 

"  I  see  that  my  frankness  has  occasioned  you  some  little 
surprise,"  he  added  ;  "  but  the  truth  is  the  truth  ;  and  I  hold 
it  to  be  unmanly  for  a  gentleman  who  has  made  up  his  mind 
to  become  the  suitor  of  a  lady,  to  make  any  secret  of  his 
intentions;  —  is  not  that  your  own  way  of  thinking,  Mr. 
Littlepage?" 

"  Certainly,  as  respects  the  lady;  and  possibly,  as  respects 
her  family ;  but  not  as  respects  all  the  world." 

"  I  take  your  distinction,  which  may  be  a  good  one,  in 
ordinary  cases;  though,  in  the  instance  of  Anneke  Mordaunt, 
it  may  be  merciful  to  let  wandering  young  men,  like  your 
self,  Corny,  comprehend  the  real  state  of  the  case.  I  very 
Veil  understand  your  own  particular  relation  to  the  family 
of  the  Mordaunts ;  but  others  may  approach  it  with  different 
and  more  interested  views." 

"  Am  I  to  understand,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  that  Miss  Mordaunt 
it  your  betrothed  ?" 

"  Oh  !  by  no  means ;  for  she  has  not  yet  made  up  her 
mind  to  accept  me.  You  are  to  understand,  however,  that 
I  have  proposed  to  Herman  Mordaunt,  with  my  father's 
knowledge  and  approbation,  and  that  the  affair  is  in  petto. 
You  can  judge  for  yourself  of  the  probable  termination, 
being  a  better  judge,  as  a  looker-on,  than  I,  as  a  party  in 
terested,  of  Anneke's  manner  of  viewing  my  suit." 

"  You  will  remember  I  have  not  seen  you  together  these 
ten  months,  until  this  morning ;  and  I  presume  you  do  not 
wish  me  to  suppose  you  have  been  waiting  all  that  time  for 
an  answer." 

"  As  I  consider  you  an  ami  de  famille,  Corny,  there  is 
no  reason  why  there  should  not  be  a  fair  statement  of  things 


SATANSTOE.  209 

laid  before  you,  for  that  affair  of  the  lion  will  ever  render 
you  half  a  Mordaunt,  yourself.  I  had  proposed  to  Anneke, 
when  you  first  saw  me,  and  got  the  usual  lady-like  answer 
that  the  dear  creature  was  too  young  to  think  of  contracting 
herself,  which  was  certainly  truer  then  than  now;  that  [ 
had  friends  at  home  who  ought  to  be  consulted,  that  time 
must  be  given,  or  the  answer  would  necessarily  be  '  no,' 
and  all  the  usual  substance  of  such  replies,  in  the  prelimi 
nary  state  of  a  negotiation." 

"  And  there  the  matter  has  stood  ever  since  ?" 

"  By  no  means,  my  dear  fellow ;  as  far  from  that  as  pos 
sible.  I  heard  Herman  Mordaunt,  for  he  did  most  of  the 
talking  on  that  side,  with  the  patience  of  a  saint,  observed 
how  proper  it  all  was,  and  stated  my  intention  to  lay  every 
thing  before  my  father,  and  then  advance  to  the  assault 
anew,  reinforced  by  his  consent,  and  authority  to  offer  set 
tlements." 

"All  of  which  you  got,  by  return  of  vessel,  on  writing 
home?"  I  added,  unable  to  imagine  how  any  man  could 
hesitate  about  receiving  Anneke  Mordaunt  for  a  daughter- 
in-law. 

"  Why,  not  exactly  by  return  of  vessel,  though  Sir  Harry 
is  much  too  well-bred  to  neglect  answering  a  letter.  I  never 
knew  him  to  do  such  a  thing  in  his  life ;  no,  not  when  I 
have  pushed  him  a  little  closely  on  the  subject  of  my  allow 
ance  having  been  out  before  the  quarter  was  up,  as  will 
sometimes  happen  at  college,  you  know,  Corny.  To  tell 
you  the  truth,  my  dear  boy,  Sir  Harry's  consent  did  not 
come  by  return  of  vessel,  though  an  answer  did.  It  is  a 
confounded  distance  across  the  Atlantic,  and  it  takes  time 
to  argue  a  question,  when  the  parties  are  *  a  thousand 
leagues  asunder.' " 

"Argue  ! — What  argument  could  be  required  to  convince 
Sir  Harry  Bulstrode  of  the  propriety  of  your  getting  An 
neke  Mordaunt  for  a  wife,  if  you  could  ?" 

"  Quite  plain  and  sincere,  upon  my  honour  ! — But,  I  love 
you  lor  the  simplicity  of  your  character,  Corny,  and  so 
shall  view  all'  favourably.  If  I  could  !  Well,  we  shall 
know  at  the  end  of  the  approaching  campaign,  when  you 
and  I  come  back  from  our  trip  to  Quebec." 
18* 


210  BATANSTOE. 

"  You  have  not  answered  my  question,  in  the  mean  time, 
concerning  Sir  Harry  Bulstrode." 

"  I  beg  Sir  Harry's  and  your  pardon.  What  argument 
could  be  required  to  convince  my  father? — Why,  you  have 
never  been  at  home,  Littlepage,  and  cannot  easily  under 
stand,  therefore,  what  the  feeling  is  precisely  in  relation  to 
the  colonies — much  depends  on  that,  you  know." 

"  I  trust  the  mother  loves  her  children,  as  I  am  certain 
the  children  love  their  mother." 

"  Yes,  you  are  all  loyal ; — I  will  say  that  for  you,  though 
Albany  is  not  exactly  Bath,  or  New  York,  Westminster.  I 
suppose  you  know,  Littlepage,  that  the  church  upon  the 
hill,  yonder,  which  is  called  St.  Peter's,  though  a  very  good 
church,  and  a  very  respectable  church,  with  a  very  reputa 
ble  congregation,  is  not  exactly  Westminster  Abbey,  or  even 
St.  James's  ?" 

"  I  believe  I  understand  you,  sir ;  and  so  Sir  Harry  proved 
obstinate?" 

"As  the  devil ! — It  took  no  less  than  three  letters,  the 
last  of  which  was  pretty  bold,  to  get  him  round,  which  I  did 
at  last,  and  his  consent,  in  due  form,  has  been  handed  in  to 
Herman  Mordaunt.  I  contended,  with  some  advantages  in 
the  affair,  or  I  never  should  have  prevailed.  But,  you  will 
see  how  it  was.  Sir  Harry  is  gouty  and  asthmatic  both, 
and  no  great  things  of  a  life,  at  the  best,  and  every  acre  he 
has  on  earth  is  entailed,  just  making  the  whole  thing  a  ques 
tion  of  time." 

"  All  of  which  you  communicated,  of  course,  to  Anneke 
and  Herman  Mordaunt?" 

"  If  I  did  I'll  be  hanged  !  No,  no  ;  Master  Corny,  I  am 
not  so  green  as  that  would  imply.  You  provincials  are  as 
thin-skinned  as  raisons  de  Fontainbleau,  and  are  not  to  be 
touched  so  rudely.  I  do  not  believe  Anneke  would  marry 
the  Duke  of  Norfolk  himself,  if  the  family  raised  the  least 
scruple  about  receiving  her." 

"  And  would  not  Anneke  be  right,  in  acting  under  so  re« 
spectable  a  feeling?" 

"  Why,  you  know  she  would  only  marry  the  duke,  and 
not  his  mother,  and  aunts,  and  uncles.  I  cannot  see  the 
necessity  of  a  young  woman's  making  herself  uncomforta 
ble  on  that  account.  But,  we  have  not  come  to  that  yet 


SATANSTOE.  211 

for  I  would  wish  you  to  Understand,  Littlepage,  that  I  am 
not  accepted,  No,  no !  justice  to  Anneke  demands  that  I 
should  say  this  much.  She  knows  of  Sir  Harry's  consent, 
however,  and  that  is  a  good  deal  in  my  favour,  you  must 
allow.  I  suppose  her  great  objection  will  be  to  quitting  her 
father,  who  has  no  other  child,  and  on  him  it  will  bear  a 
little  hard ;  and,  then,  it  is  likely  she  will  say  something  about 
a  change  of  country,  for  you  Americans  are  all  great  stick 
lers  for  living  in  your  own  region." 

"  I  do  not  see  how  you  can  justly  accuse  us  of  that,  since 
it  is  universally  admitted  among  us  that  everything  is  bet 
ter  at  home  than  it  is  in  the  colonies." 

"I  really  think,  Corny,"  rejoined  Bulstrode,  smiling  good- 
naturedly,  "  were  you  to  pay  the  old  island  a  visit,  now, 
you  yourself  would  confess  that  some  things  are." 

"  I  to  visit ! — I  am  at  a  loss  to  imagine  why  I  am  named 
as  one  disposed  to  deny  it.  Had  it  been  Guert  Ten  Eyck, 
now,  or  even  Dirck  Pollock,  one  might  imagine  such  a 
thing;  but  I,  who  come  from  English  blood,  and  who  have 
an  English-born  grandfather,  at  this  moment,  alive  and  well 
at  Satanstoe,  am  not  to  be  included  among  the  disaiiected 
to  England." 

Bulstrode  pressed  my  arm,  and  his  conversation  took  a 
more  confidential  air,  as  it  proceeded.  "  I  believe  you  are 
right,  Corny,"  he  said  ;  "  the  colony  is  loyal  enough,  Hea 
ven  knows;  yet  I  find  these  Dutch  look  on  us  red-coats  more 
coldly  than  the  people  of  English  blood,  below.  Should  it 
be  ascribed  to  the  phlegm  of  their  manners,  or  to  some  an 
cient  grudge  connected  with  the  conquest  of  their  colony  ?" 

"Hardly  the  last,  I  should  think,  since  the  colony  was 
traded  away,  under  the  final  arrangement,  in  exchange  for 
a  possession  the  Dutch  now  hold  in  South  America.  There 
is  nothing  strange,  however,  in  the  descendants  of  the  peo 
ple  of  Holland  preferring  the  Dutch  to  the  English." 

"  I  assure  you,  Littlepage,  the  coldness  with  which  we  are 
regarded  by  the  Albanians  has  been  spoken  of  among  us; 
though  most  of  the  leading  families  treat  us  well,  and  aid  us 
all  they  can.  They  should  remember  that  we  are  here  to 
fight  their  battles,  and  to  prevent  the  French  from  overrun 
ning  them." 

"  To  that  they  would  probably  answer  that  the  French 


212  SA  TANS  TOE. 

would  not  molest  them,  but  for  their  quarrel  with  England. 
Here  we  must  part,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  as  I  have  business  to 
attend  to.  I  will  add  one  word,  however,  before  we  separate, 
and  that  is,  that  King  George  II.  has  not  more  loyal  subjects 
in  his  dominions,  than  those  who  dwell  in  his  American  pro 
vinces." 

Bulstrode  smiled,  nodded  in  assent,  waved  his  hand,  and 
we  parted. 

I  had  plenty  of  occupation  for  the  remainder  of  that  day. 
Yaap  arrived  with  his  '  brigade  of  sleighs'  about  noon,  and 
I  went  in  search  of  Guert,  in  whose  company  I  repaired 
once  more  to  the  office  of  the  contractor.  Horses,  harness, 
sleighs,  provisions  and  all  were  taken  at  high  prices,  and  I 
was  paid  for  the  whole  in  Spanish  gold  ;  joes  and  half-joes 
being  quite  as  much  in  use  among  us  in  that  day  as  the 
coin  of  the  realm.  Spanish  silver  has  always  formed  our 
smaller  currency,  such  a  thing  as  an  English  shilling,  or  a 
sixpence,  being  quite  a  stranger  among  us.  Pieces  of 
eight,  or  dollars,  are  our  commonest  coin,  it  is  true,  but  we 
make  good  use  of  the  half-joe  in  all  heavy  transactions.  I 
have  seen  two  or  three  Bank  of  England  notes  in  my  day, 
but  they  are  of  very  rare  occurrence  in  the  colonies.  There 
have  been  colony  bills  among  us,  but  they  are  not  favourites, 
most  of  our  transactions  being  carried  on  by  means  of  the 
Spanish  gold  and  Spanish  silver,  that  find  their  way  up  from 
the  islands  and  the  Spanish  main.  The  war  of  which  I  am 
now  writing,  however,  brought  a  great  many  guineas  among 
us,  most  of  the  troops  being  paid  in  that  species  of  coin ; 
but  the  contractors,  in  general,  found  it  easier  to  command 
the  half-joe  than  the  guinea.  Of  the  former,  when  all  our 
sales  were  made,  Dirck  and  myself  had,  between  us,  no 
less  than  one  hundred  and  eleven,  or  eight  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  dollars  in  value. 

I  found  Guert  just  as  ready  and  just  as  friendly  on  this 
occasion,  as  he  had  been  on  the  previous  day.  Not  only 
were  all  our  effects  disposed  of,  but  all  our  negroes  were 
hired  to  the  army  for  the  campaign,  Yaap  excepted.  The 
boys  went  off  with  their  teams  towards  the  north  that  same 
afternoon,  in  high  spirits,  as  ready  for  a  frolic  as  any 
white  youths  in  the  colony.  I  permitted  Yaap  to  go  on 
with  his  sleigh,  to  be  absent  for  a  few  days,  but  he  was  to 


SATANSTOE.  213 

return  and  join  us  before  we  proceeded  in  quest  of  the 
e  Patent,'  after  the  breaking  up  of  the  winter. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  everything  was  settled, 
when  Guert  invited  me  to  take  a  turn  with  him  on  the 
river  in  his  own  sleigh.  By  this  time  I  had  ascertained  that 
my  new  friend  was  a  young  man  of  very  handsome  property, 
without  father  or  mother,  and  that  he  lived  in  as  good  style 
as  was  common  for  the  simple  habits  of  those  around  him. 
Our  principal  families  in  New  York  were  somewhat  remark 
able  for  the  abundance  of  their  plate,  table-linen,  and  other 
household  effects  of  the  latter  character,  while  here  and 
there  one  was  to  be  found  that  possessed  some  good  pictures. 
The  latter,  I  have  reason  to  think,  however,  were  rare, 
though  occasionally  the  work  of  a  master  did  find  its  way 
to  America,  particularly  from  Holland  and  Flanders.  Guert 
kept  bachelor's  hall,  in  a  respectable  house,  that  had  its 
gable  to  the  street,  as  usual,  and  which  was  of  no  great 
size;  but  everything  about  it  proved  that  his  old  black 
housekeeper  had  been  trained  under  a  regime  of  thorough 
neatness ;  for  that  matter,  everything  around  Albany  wore 
the  appearance  of  being  periodically  scoured.  The  streets 
themselves  could  not  undergo  that  process  with  snow  on  the 
ground ;  but  once  beneath  a  roof,  and  everything  that  had 
the  character  of  dirt  was  banished.  In  this  particular 
Guert's  bachelor  residence  was  as  faultless  as  if  it  had  a 
mistress  at  its  head,  and  that  mistress  were  Mary  Wallace. 

"  If  she  ever  consent  to  have  me,"  said  Guert,  actually 
sighing  as  he  spoke,  and  glancing  his  eyes  round  the  very 
pretty  little  parlour  I  had  just  been  praising,  on  the  occa 
sion  of  the  visit  I  first  made  to  his  residence  that  afternoon ; 
"  if  she  ever  consent  to  have  me,  Corny,  I  shall  have  to 
build  a  new  house.  This  is  now  a  hundred  years  old,  and 
though  it  was  thought  a  great  affair  in  its  day,  it  is  not  half 
good  enough  for  Mary  Wallace.  My  dear  fellow,  how  I 
envy  you  that  invitation  to  breakfast  this  morning !  what  a 
favourite  you  must  be  with  Herman  Mordaunt !" 

"  We  are  very  good  friends,  Guert," — for,  with  the  free 
dom  of  our  colony  manners,  we  had  already  dropped  into 
the  familiarity  of  calling  each  other  *  Corny'  and  *  Guert' — 
"  we  are  very  good  friends,  Guert,"  I  answered,  "  and,  I 
have  some  reason  to  think,  Herman  Mordaunt  does  not  dis- 


214  SATAttSTOE. 

like  me.  It  was  in  my  power  to  be  of  a  trifling  service  to 
Miss  Anneke,  last  spring,  and  the  whole  family  is  disposed 
to  remember  it." 

"  So  I  can  see,  at  a  glance ;  even  Anneke  remembers  it. 
I  have  heard  the  whole  story  from  Mary  Wallace  ;  it  was 
about  a  lion.  I  would  give  half  of  what  I  am  worth,  to  see 
Mary  Wallace  in  the  paws  of  a  lion,  or  any  other  wild  beast  ; 
just  to  let  her  see  that  Guert  Ten  Eyck  has  a  heart,  as  well 
as  Corny  Litttepage.  But,  Corny  my  boy,  there  is  one 
thing  you  must  do ;  you  are  in  such  favour,  that  it  will  be 
easy  for  you  to  effect  it ;  though  I  might  try  in  vain,  for 
ever." 

"  I  will  do  anything  that  is  proper,  to  oblige  you,  Guert , 
for  you  have  a  claim  on  me  for  services  rendered  by  your 
self." 

"Pshaw!  —  Say  nothing  of  such  matters;  I  am  never 
happier  than  when  buying  or  selling  a  horse ;  and,  in  help 
ing  you  to  get  off  your  old  cattle,  why,  I  did  the  King  no 
harm,  and  you  some  good.  But,  it  was  about  horses  I  was 
thinking.  You  must  know,  Littlepage,  there  is  not  a  young 
man,  or  an  old  man,  within  twenty  miles  of  Albany,  that 
drives  such  a  pair  of  beasts  as  myself." 

"  You  surely  do  not  wish  me  to  sell  these  horses  to  Mary 
Wallace,  Guert !"  I  rejoined,  laughing. 

"Ay,  my  lad ;  and  this  house,  and  the  old  farm,  and  two 
or  three  stores  along  the  river ;  and  all  I  have,  provided 
you  can  sell  me  with  them.  As  the  ladies  have  no  present 
use  for  horses,  however,  Herman  Mordaunt  having  brought 
up  with  him  a  very  good  pair,  that  came  near  running  over 
you  and  me,  Corny ;  so  there  is  no  need  of  any  sale  ;  but 
I  should  like  to  drive  Mary  and  Anneke  a  turn  of  a  few 
miles,  with  that  team  of  mine,  and  in  my  own  sleigh !" 

"  That  cannot  prove  such  a  difficult  affair ;  young  ladies, 
ordinarily,  consenting  readily  enough  to  be  diverted  with  a 
sleigh-ride." 

"  The  off-one  carries  himself  more  like  a  colonel,  at  the 
head  of  his  regiment,  than  like  an  ignorant  horse!" 

"  I  will  propose  the  matter  to  Herman  Mordaunt,  or  to 
Anneke,  herself,  if  you  desire  it." 

"And  the  near-one  has  the  movement  of  a  lady  in  a  mi- 


SATANSTOE.  215 

nuet,  when  you  rein  him  in  a  little.  I  drove  those  cattle, 
Corny,  across  the  pine-plains,  to  Schenectady,  in  one  hour 
and  twenty-six  minutes  ; — sixteen  miles,  as  the  crow  flies— 
and  nearer  sixty,  if  you  follow  all  the  turnings  of  the  fifty 
roads." 

"  Well,  what  am  I  to  do  ?  tell  this  to  the  ladies,  or  beg 
them  to  name  a  day  T' 

"  Name  a  day ! — I  wish  it  had  come  to  that,  Corny,  with 
my  whole  soul.  They  are  two  beauties !" 

"  Yes,  I  think  everybody  will  admit  that"  I  answered  in 
nocently  ;  "  yet,  very  different  in  their  charms." 

"  Oh !  not  a  bit  more  alike  than  is  just  necessary  for  a 
good  match.  I  call  one  Jack,  and  the  other  Moses.  I  never 
knew  an  animal  that  was  named  4  Jack,'  who  would  not  do 
his  work.  I  would  give  a  great  deal,  Corny,  that  Mary 
Wallace  could  see  that  horse  move !" 

I  promised  Guert  that  I  would  use  all  my  influence  with 
the  ladies,  to  induce  them  to  trust  themselves  with  his  team  ; 
and,  in  order  that  I  might  speak  with  authority,  the  sleigh 
was  ordered  round  to  the  door  forthwith,  with  a  view  first  to 
take  a  turn  with  me.  The  winter  equipage  of  Guert  Ten 
Eyck  was  really  a  tasteful  and  knowing  thing.  I  had  often 
seen  handsomer  sleighs,  in  the  way  of  paint,  varnish,  tops 
and  mouldings ;  for  to  these  he  appeared  to  pay  very  little 
attention.  The  points  on  which  its  owner  most  valued  his 
sleigh,  was  the  admirable  manner  in  which  it  rested  on  its 
runners  —  pressing  lightly  both  behind  and  before.  Then 
the  traces  were  nearer  on  a  level  with  the  horses,  than  was 
common;  though  not  so  high  as  to  affect  the  draft.  The 
colour,  without,  was  a  sky-blue  ;  a  favourite  Dutch  tint ; 
while  within,  it  was  fiery-red.  The  skins  were  very  ample: 
all  coming  from  the  grey  wolf.  As  these  skins  were  lined 
with  scarlet  cloth,  the  effect  of  the  whole  was  sufficiently 
cheering  and  warm.  I  ought  not  to  forget  the  bells.  In 
addition  to  the  four  sets  buckled  to  the  harness,  the  usual 
accompaniment  of  every  sort  of  sleigh-harness,  Guert  had 
provided  two  enormous  strings  (always  leathern  straps),  that 
passed  from  the  saddles  quite  down  under  the  bodies  of  Jack 

and  Moses  ;  and  another  string  around  each  horse's  neck , 

i  -- 


216  SATANSTOE. 

thus  increasing  the  jingling  music  of  his  march,  at  least 
fourfold  beyond  the  usual  quantity.* 

In  this  style,  then,  we  dashed  from  the  door  of  the  o!d 
Ten  Eyck-house;  all  the  blacks  in  the  street  gazing  at  us  in 
delight,  and  shaking  their  sides  with  laughter — a  negro  al 
ways  expressing  his  admiration  of  anything,  even  to  a  ser 
mon,  in  that  mode.  I  remember  to  have  heard  a  traveller 
who  had  been  as  far  as  Niagara,  declare  that  his  black  did 
nothing  but  roar  with  laughter,  the  first  half-hour  he  stood 
confronted  with  that  mighty  cataract. 

Nor  did  the  blacks  alone  stop  to  admire  Guert  Ten  Eyck, 
his  sleigh  and  his  horses.  All  the  young  men  in  the  place 
paid  Guert  this  homage,  for  he  was  unanimously  admitted 
to  be  the  best  whip,  and  the  best  judge  of  horse-flesh,  in 
Albany ;  that  is,  the  best  judge  for  his  years.  Several 
young  women  who  were  out  in  sleighs,  looked  behind  them, 
as  we  passed,  proving  that  the  admiration  extended  even  to 
the  other  sex.  All  this  Guert  felt  and  saw,  and  its  effect 
was  very  visible  in  his  manner  as  he  stood  guiding  his 

*  As  it  is  possible  this  book  may  pass  into  the  hands  of  others  than 
Americans,  it  may  be  well  to  say  that  a  sleigh-bell  is  a  small  hollow  ball, 
made  of  bell-metal,  having  a  hole  in  it  that  passes  round  half  of  its  cir 
cumference,  and  containing  a  small  solid  ball,  of  a  size  not  to  escape. 
These  bells  are  fastened  to  leathern  straps,  which  commonly  pass  round 
the  necks  of  the  horses.  In  the  time  of  Guert  Ten  Eyck,  most  of  the  bells 
were  attached  to  small  plates,  that  were  buckled  to  various  parts  of 
the  harness ;  but,  as  this  caused  a  motion  annoying  to  the  animals, 
Mr.  Littlepage  evidently  wishes  his  readers  to  understand  that  his 
friend,  Ten  Eyck,  was  too  knowing  to  have  recourse  to  the  practice. 
Even  the  straps  are  coming  into  disuse,  the  opinion  beginning  to 
obtain  that  sleigh-bells  are  a  nuisance,  instead  of  an  advantage. 
Twenty  years  since,  the  laws  of  most  large  towns  rendered  them 
necessary,  under  the  pretence  of  T>reventing  accidents  by  apprising 
the  footman  of  the  approach  of  a  sleigh ;  but  more  horses  are  now 
driven,  in  the  state  of  New  York,  without  than  witli  bells,  in  winter. 

"  Sleigh,"  as  spelt,  is  purely  an  American  word.  It  is  derived  from 
*'  slee,"  in  Dutch  ;  which  is  pronounced  like  "  sleigh."  Some  persons 
contend  that  the  Americans  ought  to  use  the  old  English  words 
"sled,"  or  "sledge."  But  these  words  do  not  precisely  express  the 
things  we  possess.  There  is  as  much  recson  for  calling  a  pleasure* 
conveyance  by  a  name  different  from  "sled,"  as  there  is  for  sayingr 
"  coach"  instead  of  "  wagon."  "  Sleigh"  will  become  English,  ere 
long,  as  it  is  now  American.  Twenty  millions  of  people  not  only 
can  make  a  word,  but  they  can  make  a  language,  if  it  be  needed. — 
EDITOR. 


SATAN8TOE  217 

spirited  pair,  amid    the  woodsleds   that  still  crowded  the 
main  street. 

Our  route  lay  towards  the  large  flats,  that  extend  for 
miles  alon^  the  west  shore  of  the  Hudson,  to  the  north  of 
Albany.  This  was  the  road  usually  taken  by  the  young 
people  of  the  place,  in  their  evening  sleigh-ride^ ;  not  a  few 
of  the  belter  class  stopping  to  pay  their  respects  to  Madame 
Schuyler,  a  widow  born  of  the  same  family  as  that  into 
which  she  had  married,  and  who,  from  her  character,  con 
nections  and  fortune,  filled  a  high  place  in  the  social  circle 
of  the  vicinity.  Guert  knew  this  lady,  and  proposed  that  I 
should  call  and  pay  my  respects  to  her — a  tribute  she  was 
accustomed  to  receive  from  most  strangers  of  respectability. 
Thither,  then,  we  drove  as  fast  as  my  companion's  blacks 
could  carry  us.  The  distance  was  only  a  few  miles,  and 
we  were  soon  dashing  through  the  open  gate,  into  what 
must  have  been  a  very  pretty,  though  an  inartificial,  lawn, 
in  the  summer. 

"  By  Jove,  we  are  in  luck !"  cried  Guert,  the  moment  his 
eyes  got  a  view  of  the  stables :  "  Yonder  is  Herman  Mor- 
daunt's  sleigh,  and  we  shall  find  the  ladies  here !" 

All  this  turned  out  as  Guert  had  announced.  Anneke 
and  Mary  Wallace  had  dined  with  Madame  Schuyler,  and 
their  coats  and  shawls  had  just  been  brought  to  them,  pre 
paratory  to  returning  home,  as  we  entered.  I  had  heard  so 
much  of  Madame  Schuyler  as  not  to  approach  this  respect 
able  person  without  awe,  and  I  had  no  eyes  at  first  for  her 
companions.  I  was  well  received  by  the  mistress  of  the 
house,  a  woman  of  so  large  a  size  as  to  rise  from  her  chair 
with  great  difficulty,  but  whose  countenance  expressed 
equally  intelligence,  principles,  refinement  and  benevolence. 
She  no  sooner  heard  the  name  of  Littlepage,  than  she  threw 
a  meaning  glance  towards  the  young  female  friends,  mine 
following  and  perceiving  Anneke  colouring  highly,  and 
looking  a  little  distressed.  As  for  Mary  Wallace  she  ap 
peared  to  me  then,  as  I  fancied  was  usually  the  case  when 
ever  Guert  Ten  Eyck  approached  her,  to  be  struggling  with 
a  species  of  melancholy  pleasure. 

"  It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  hear  your  mother's  name, 
Mr.  Littlepage,"  said  Madam  Schuyler,  extending  a  hand, 
"  since  I  knew  her  as  a  young  woman.     In  her  name  you 
9 


SATANSTOE 

are  welcome ;  as,  indeed,  von  would  be  in  your  own,  after 
the  all-important  service  1  hear  you  have  rendered  my 
sweet  young  friend,  hero." 

I  could  only  bow,  and  express  my  thanks ;  but  it  is  un 
necessary  to  say  how  grateful  to  me  was  praise  of  this  sort, 
coming,  as  I  knew  it  must,  from  Anneke  in  the  first  instance. 
Still,  I  could  hardly  refrain  from  laughing  at  Guert,  who 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  turned  towards  me  with  a  look 
that  repeated  his  ludicrous  regrets  he  could  not  see  Mary 
Wallace  in  a  lion's  paws  !  The  conversation  then  took  the 
usual  turn,  and  I  got  an  opportunity  of  speaking  to  the 
young  ladies. 

After  the  character  I  had  heard  of  Madam  Schuyler,  ) 
was  a  good  deal  surprised  to  find  that  Guert  was  somewhat 
of  a  favourite.  But  even  the  most  intellectual  and  refined 
women,  I  have  since  had  occasion  to  learn,  feel  a  disposition 
to  judge  handsome,  manly,  frank,  flighty  fellows  like  my 
new  acquaintance,  somewhat  leniently.  With  all  his  levity, 
and  his  disposition  to  run  into  the  excesses  of  animal  spirits, 
there  was  that  about  Guert  which  rendered  it  difficult  to 
despise  him;  The  courage  of  a  lion  was  in  his  eye,  and  his 
front  and  bearing  were  precisely  those  that  are  particularly 
attractive  to  women.  To  these  advantages  were  added  a 
seeming  unconsciousness  of  his  superiority  to  most  around 
him,  in  the  way  of  looks,  and  a  humility  of  spirit  that 
caused  him  often  to  deplore  his  deficiencies  in  those  accom 
plishments  which  characterize  the  man  of  study  and  of  in 
tellectual  activity.  It  was  only  among  the  hardy,  active, 
and  reckless,  that  Guert  manifested  the  least  ambition  to  be 
a  leader. 

"Do  you  still  drive  those  spirited  blacks,  Guert,"  de 
manded  Madam  Schuyler,  in  a  gentle,  affable  way,  that  in 
clined  her  to  adapt  her  discourse  to  the  tastes  of  those  she 
might  happen  to  be  with  ;  "  those,  I  mean,  which  you  pur 
chased  in  the  autumn  ?" 

"  You  may  be  certain  of  that,  aunt,"  —  every  one  who 
could  claim  the  most  distant  relationship  to  this  amiable 
woman,  and  whose  years  did  not  render  the  appellation  dis 
respectful,  called  her  "aunt" — "you  may  be  certain  of  that, 
aunt,  for  their  equals  are  not  to  be  found  in  this  colony. 
The  gentlemen  of  the  army  pretend  that  no  horse  can  ha 


SATANSTOE.  219 

good  that  has  not  what  they  call  blood,'  but  Jack  and 
Moses  are  both  of  the  Dutch  breed,  and  the  Schuylers  and 
the  Ten  Eycks  will  never  own  there  is  no  "  blood"  in  such 
a  stock.  I  have  given  each  of  these  animals  my  own  name, 
and  call  them  Jack  Ten  Eyck  and  Moses  Ten  Eyck." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  exclude  the  Littlepages  and  the 
Mordaunts  from  your  list  of  dissenters,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,' 
observed  Anneke,  laughing,  "  since  both  have  Dutch  blood 
in  their  veins,  too." 

"  Very  true,  Miss  Anneke ;  Miss  Wallace  being  the  only 
true,  thorough,  Englishwoman  here.  But,  as  Aunt  Schuy- 
ler  has  spoken  of  my  team,  I  wish  I  could  persuade  you  and 
Miss  Mary  to  let  me  drive  you  back  to  Albany  with  it,  this 
very  evening.  Your  own  sleigh  can  follow ;  and  your 
father's  horses  being  English,  we  shall  have  an  opportunity 
of  comparing  the  two  breeds.  The  Anglo-Saxons  will  have 
no  load,  while  the  Flemings  will ;  still  I  will  wager  animal 
against  animal,  that  the  last  do  the  work  the  most  neatly, 
and  in  the  shortest  time." 

To  this  proposition,  however,  Anneke  would  not  consent  ; 
her  instinctive  delicacy,  I  make  no  doubt,  at  once  presenting 
to  her  mind  the  impropriety  of  quitting  her  own  sleigh,  to 
take  an  evening's  drive  in  that  of  a  young  man  of  Guert's 
established  reputation  for  recklessness  and  fun,  and  who 
was  not  always  fortunate  enough  to  persuade  young  women 
of  the  first  class  to  be  his  companions.  The  turn  the  con 
versation  had  taken,  nevertheless,  had  the  effect  to  produce 
so  many  urgent  appeals,  that  were  seconded  by  myself,  to 
give  the  horses  a  trial,  that  Mary  Wallace  promised  to  sub 
mit  the  matter  to  Herman  Mordaunt,  and,  should  he  ap 
prove,  to  accompany  Guert,  Anneke  and  myself,  in  an  ex 
cursion  the  succeeding  week. 

This  concession  was  received  by  poor  Guert  with  pro 
found  gratitude ;  and  he  assured  me,  as  we  drove  back  to 
town,  that  he  had  not  felt  so  happy  for  the  last  two  months. 

'•  It  is  in  the  power  of  such  a  young  woman  —  young 
angel,  I  might  better  say,"  added  Guert,  "  to  make  any 
thing  she  may  please  of  me !  I  know  I  am  an  idler,  and 
too  fond  of  our  Dutch  amusements,  and  that  I  have  not  paid 
the  attention  I  ought  to  have  paid  to  books ;  but  let  that  pre 
cious  creature  only  take  me  by  the  hand,  and  I  should  turn 


220  SATANSTOE. 

out  an  altered  man  in  a  month.  Young  women  can  do 
anything  they  please  with  us,  Mr.  Littlepage,  when  they 
set"  their  minds  about  it  in  earnest.  I  wish  I  was  a  horse, 
to  have  the  pleasure  of  dragging  Mary  Wallace  in  this  ex 
cursion  !" 


CHAPTER  XV. 

«  When  lo  !  the  voice  of  loud  alarm 

His  inmost  soul  appals  : 
What  ho  !  Lord  William,  rise  in  haste  ! 
The  water  saps  thy  walls!" 

Lord  William. 

THE  visit  to  Madam  Schuyler  occurred  of  a  Saturday 
evening ;  and  the  matter  of  our  adventure  in  company  with 
Jack  and  Moses,  was  to  be  decided  on  the  following  Monday. 
When  I  rose  and  looked  out  of  my  window  on  the  Sunday 
morning,  however,  there  appeared  but  very  little  prospect 
of  its  being  effected  that  spring,  inasmuch  as  it  rained  hea 
vily,  and  there  was  a  fresh  south  wind.  We  had  reached 
the  21st  of  March,  a  period  of  the  year  when  a  decided 
thaw  was  not  only  ominous  to  the  sleighing,  but  when  it 
actually  predicted  a  permanent  breaking  up  of  the  winter. 
The  season  had  been  late,  and  it  was  thought  the  change 
could  not  be  distant. 

The  rain  and  south  wind  continued  all  that  day,  and  tor 
rents  of  water  came  rushing  down  the  short,  steep  streets, 
effectually  washing  away  everything  like  snow.  Mr.  Wor- 
den  preached,  notwithstanding,  and  to  a  very  respectable 
congregation.  Dirck  and  myself  attended  ;  but  Jason  pre 
ferred  sitting  out  a  double  half-hour  glass  sermon  in  the  Dutch 
church,  delivered  in  a  language  of  which  he  understood 
very  little,  to  lending  his  countenance  to  the  rites  of  the 
English  service.  Both  Anneke  and  Mary  Wallace  found 
their  way  up  the  hill,  going  in  a  carriage  ;  though  I  observed 
that  Herman  Mordaunt  was  absent.  Guert  was  in  the  gal. 


8ATANSTOE. 

lery,  in  which  we  also  sat ;  but  I  could  not  avoid  remarking 
that  neither  of  the  young  ladies  raised  her  eyes  once,  during 
the  whole  service,  as  high  as  our  pews.  Guert  whispered 
something  about  this,  as  he  hastened  down  stairs  to  hand 
them  to  their  carriage,  when  the  congregation  was  dismissed, 
begging  me,  at  the  same  time,  to  be  punctual  to  the  appoint 
ment  for  the  next  day.  What  he  meant  by  this  last  remem 
brancer,  I  did  not  understand ;  for  the  hills  were  beginning 
to  exhibit  their  bare  breasts,  and  it  was  somewhat  surprising 
with  what  rapidity  a  rather  unusual  amount  of  snow  had 
disappeared.  I  had  no  opportunity  to  ask  an  explanation, 
as  Guert  was  too  busy  in  placing  the  ladies  in  the  carriage, 
and  the  weather  was  not  such  as  to  admit  of  my  remaining 
a  moment  longer  in  the  street  than  was  indispensably  ne 
cessary. 

A  change  occurred  in  the  weather  during  the  night,  the 
rain  having  ceased,  though  the  atmosphere  continued  mild, 
and  the  wind  was  still  from  the  south.  It  was  the  com 
mencement  of  the  spring;  and,  as  I  walked  round  to  Guert 
Ten  Eyck's  house,  to  meet  him  at  breakfast,  I  observed  that 
several  vehicles  with  wheels  were  already  in  motion  in  the 
streets,  and  that  divers  persons  appeared  to  be  putting  away 
their  sleighs  and  sleds,  as  things  of  no  further  use,  until  the 
next  winter.  Our  springs  do  not  certainly  come  upon  us  as 
suddenly  as  some  of  which  I  have  read,  in  the  old  world ; 
but  when  the  snow  and  winter  endure  as  far  into  March  as 
had  been  the  case  with  that  of  the  year  1758,  the  change  is 
often  nearly  magical. 

"  Here,  then,  is  the  spring  opening,"  I  said  to  Dirck,  as 
we  walked  along  the  well-washed  streets  ;  *'  and,  in  a  few 
weeks,  we  must  be  off  to  the  bush.  Our  business  on  the 
Patent  must  be  got  along  with,  before  the  troops  are  put  in 
motion,  or  we  may  lose  the  opportunity  of  seeing  a  cam 
paign." 

With  such  expectations  and  feelings  I  entered  Guert's 
bachelor  abode ;  and  the  first  words  I  uttered,  were  to  sym 
pathize  in  his  supposed  disappointment. 

"  It  is  a  great  pity  you  did  not  propose  the  drive  to  the 
ladies  for  Saturday,"  I  began ;  "  for  that  was  not  only  a 
mild  day,  but  the  sleighing  was  excellent.  As  it  is,  you  will 
have  to  postpone  your  triumph  until  next  winter." 
19* 


222  SATANSTOE. 

"  I  do  not  understand  you  !"  cried  Guert;  Jack  and  Moses 
never  were  in  better  heart,  or  in  better  condition.  I  think 
they  are  equal  to  going  to  Kinderhook  in  two  hours !" 

"  But  who  will  furnish  the  roads  with  snow  1  By  looking 
out  of  the  window,  you  will  see  that  the  streets  are  nearly 
bare." 

"  Streets  and  roads !  Who  cares  for  either,  while  we 
have  the  river  ?  We  often  use  the  river  here,  weeks  at  a 
time,  when  the  snow  has  left  us.  The  ice  has  been  remark 
ably  even  the  whole  of  this  winter,  and,  now  the  snow  is  off 
it,  there  will  be  no  danger  from  the  air-holes." 

I  confess  I  did  not  much  like  the  notion  of  travelling 
twenty  miles  on  the  ice,  but  was  far  too  much  of  a  man  to 
offer  any  objections. 

We  breakfasted,  and  proceeded  in  a  body  to  the  residence 
of  Herman  Mordaunt.  When  the  ladies  first  heard  that  we 
had  come  to  claim  the  redemption  of  the  half-promise  given 
at  Madam  Schuyler's,  their  surprise  was  not  less  than  mine 
had  been,  half  an  hour  before,  while  their  uneasiness  was 
probably  greater. 

"  Surely,  Jack  and  Moses  cannot  exhibit  all  their  noble 
qualities  without  snow  !"  exclaimed  Anneke,  laughing,  "  Ten 
Eycks  though  they  be  !" 

"  We  Albanians  have  the  advantage  of  travelling  on  the 
ice,  when  the  the  snow  fails  us,"  answered  Guert.  "  Here 
is  the  river,  near  by,  and  never  was  the  sleighing  on  it,  better 
than  at  this  moment." 

"But,  it  has  been  many  times  safer,  I  should  think. 
This  looks  very  much  like  the  breaking  up  of  winter!" 

"  That  is  probable  enough,  and  so  much  greater  the  rea 
son  why  we  should  not  delay,  if  you  and  Miss  Mary  ever 
intend  to  learn  what  the  blacks  can  do.  It  is  for  the  honour 
of  Holland  that  I  desire  it,  else  would  I  not  presume  so  far. 
I  feel  every  condescension  of  this  sort,  that  I  receive  from 
you  two  ladies,  in  a  way  I  cannot  express;  for  no  one 
Knows,  better  than  myself,  how  unworthy  I  am  of  your 
smallest  notice." 

This  brought  the  signs  of  yielding,  at  once,  into  the  mild 
countenance  of  Mary  Wallace.  Guert's  self-humiliation 
never  failed  to  do  this.  There  was  so  much  obvious  truth 
in  his  admission,  so  sincere  a  disposition  to  place  himself 


SAT  ANSI  OE. 


223 


where  nature  and  education,  or  a  want  of  education  had 
placed  htm,  and  most  of  all  so  profound  a  deference  for  the 
mental  superiority  of  Mary  herself,  that  the  female  heart 
found  it  impossible  to  resist.  To  my  surprise,  Guert's  mis 
tress,  contrary  to  her  habit  in  such  things,  was  the  first  to 
join  him,  and  to  second  his  proposal.  Herman  Mordaunt 
entering  the  room  at  this  instant,  the  whole  thing  was  re- 
ierred  to  him,  as  in  reason  it  ought  to  have  been. 

"  I  remember  to  have  travelled  on  the  Hudson,  a  few 
years  since,"  returned  Herman  Mordaunt,  "  the  entire  dis 
tance  between  Albany  and  Sing-Sing,  and  a  very  good  time 
we  had  of  it ;  much  better  than  had  we  gone  by  land,  for 
there  was  little  or  no  snow." 

"  Just  our  case  now,  Miss  Anneke  !"  cried  Guert.  "  Good 
sleighing  on  the  river,  but  none  on  the  land." 

"  Was  that  near  the  end  of  March,  dear  Papa  ?"  asked 
Anneke,  a  little  inquiringly. 

"  No,  certainly  not,  for  it  was  early  in  February.  But 
the  ice,  at  this  moment,  must  be  near  eighteen  inches  thick, 
and  strong  enough  to  bear  a  load  of  hay." 

"  Yes,  Masser  Herman,"  observed  Cato,  a  grey-headed 
black,  who  had  never  called  his  master  by  any  other  name, 
having  known  him  from  an  infant ;  "  yes,  Masser  Herman, 
a  load  do  come  over  dis  minute." 

It  appeared  unreasonable  to  distrust  the  strength  of  the 
ice,  after  this  proof  to  the  contrary,  and  Anneke  submitted. 
The  party  was  arranged  forthwith,  and  in  the  following 
manner : — The  two  ladies,  Guert  and  myself,  were  to  be 
drawn  by  the  blacks,  while  Herman  Mordaunt,  Dirck,  and 
any  one  else  they  could  enlist,  were  to  follow  in  the  New 
York  sleigh.  It  was  hoped  that  an  elderly  female  connec 
tion,  Mrs.  Bogart,  who  resided  at  Albany,  would  consent  to 
be  of  the  party,  as  the  plan  was  to  visit  and  dine  with  an 
other  and  a  mutual  connection  of  the  Mordaunts,  at  Kinder- 
hook.  While  the  sleighs  were  getting  ready,  Herman  Mor 
daunt  walked  round  to  the  house  of  Mrs.  Bogart,  made  his 
request,  and  was  successful. 

The  clock  in  the  tower  of  the  English  church  struck  ten, 
as  both  sleighs  drove  from  Herman  Mordaunt's  door.  There 
was  literally  no  snow  in  the  middle  of  the  streets ;  but  enough 
of  it,  mingled  with  ice,  was  still  to  be  found  nearer  the 


224 


SATANSTOE. 


houses,  to  enable  us  to  get  down  to  the  ferry,  the  poinsJ 
where  sleighs  usually  went  upon  the  river.  Here  Herman 
Mordaunt,  who  was  in  advance,  checked  his  horses,  and 
turned  to  speak  to  Guert  on  the  propriety  of  proceed 
ing.  The  ice  near  the  shore  had  evidently  been  moved, 
the  river  having  risen  a  foot  or  two,  in  consequence  of  the 
wind  and  the  thaw,  and  there  was  a  sort  of  icy  wave  cast 
up  near  the  land,  over  which  it  was  indispensable  to  pass,, 
in  order  to  get  fairly  on  the  river.  As  the  top  of  this  ridge, 
or  wave,  was  broken,  it  exposed  a  fissure  that  enabled  us 
to  see  the  thickness  of  the  ice,  and  this  Guert  pointed  out  in 
proof  of  its  strength.  There  was  nothing  unusual  in  a  small 
movement  of  the  covering  of  the  river,  which  the  current 
often  produces ;  but,  unless  the  vast  fields  below  got  in  mo 
tion,  it  was  impossible  for  those  above  materially  to  change 
their  positions.  Sleighs  were  passing,  too,  still  bringing  to 
town,  hay  from  the  flats  on  the  eastern  bank,  and  there  was 
no  longer  any  hesitation.  Herman  Mordaunt's  sleigh  passed 
slowly  over  the  ridge,  having  a  care  to  the  legs  of  the  horses, 
and  ours  followed  in  the  same  cautious  manner,  though  the 
blacks  jumped  across  the  fissure  in  spite  of  their  master's 
exertions. 

Once  on  the  river,  however,  Guert  gave  his  blacks  the 
whip  and  rein,  and  away  we  went  like  the  wind.  The 
smooth,  icy  surface  of  the  Hudson  was  our  road,  the  thaw 
having  left  very  few  traces  of  any  track.  The  water  had 
all  passed  beneath  the  ice,  through  cracks  and  fissures  of 
one  sort  and  another,  leaving  us  an  even,  dry,  surface  to 
trot  on.  The  wind  was  still  southerly,  though  scarcely 
warm,  while  a  bright  sun  contributed  to  render  our  excur 
sion  as  gay  to  the  eye,  as  it  certainly  was  to  our  feelings. 
In  a  few  minutes  every  trace  of  uneasiness  had  vanished. 
Away  we  went,  the  blacks  doing  full  credit  to  their  owner's 
boasts,  seeming  scarcely  to  touch  tke  ice,  from  which  their 
feet  appeared  to  rebound  with  a  sort  of  elastic  force.  Her 
man  Mordaunt's  bays  followed  on  our  heels,  and  the  sleighs 
had  passed  over  the  well-known  shoal  of  the  Overslaugh, 
within  the  first  twenty  minutes  after  they  touched  the  river. 

Every  northern  American  is  familiar  with  the  effect  that 
the  motion  of  a  sleigh  produces  on  the  spirits,  under  favour 
able  circumstances.  Had  our  party  been  altogether  com?. 


SATANSTOE.  225 

posed  of  Albanians,  there  would  probably  have  been  no 
drawback  on  the  enjoyment,  for  use  would  have  prevented 
apprehension ;  but  it  required  the  few  minutes  I  have  men 
tioned  to  give  Anneke  and  Mary  Wallace  full  confidence  in 
the  ice.  By  the  time  we  reached  the  Overslaugh,  however," 
their  fears  had  vanished ;  and  Guert  confirmed  their  sense 
of  security,  by  telling  them  to  listen  to  the  sounds  produced 
by  his  horses1  hoofs,  which  certainly  conveyed  the  impres 
sion  of  moving  on  a  solid  foundation. 

Mary  Wallace  had  never  before  been  so  gay  in  my  pre 
sence,  as  she  appeared  to  be  that  morning.  Once,  or  twice, 
I  fancied  her  eyes  almost  as  bright  as  those  of  Anneke's, 
and  certainly  her  laugh  was  as  sweet  and  musical.  Both 
the  girls  were  full  of  spirits,  and  some  little  things  occurred 
that  gave  me  hopes  Bulstrode  had  no  reason  to  fancy  him 
self  as  secure,  as  he  sometimes  seemed  to  be.  A  casual 
remark  of  Guert's  had  the  effect  to  bring  out  some  of  An 
neke's  private  sentiments  on  the  subject ;  or,  at  least,  so 
they  appeared  to  be  to  me. 

"  I  am  surprised  that  Mr.  Mordaunt  forgot  to  invite  Mr. 
Bulstrode  to  be  one  of  our  party,  to-day,"  cried  Guert,  when 
we  were  below  the  Overslaugh.  "  The  Major  loves  sleigh 
ing,  and  he  would  have  filled  the  fourth  seat,  in  the  other 
sleigh,  very  agreeably.  As  for  coming  into  this,  that  would 
be  refused  him,  were  he  even  a  general !" 

"  Mr.  Bulstrode  is  English,"  answered  Anneke,  with  spirit, 
"  and  fancies  American  amusements  beneath  the  tastes  of 
one  who  has  been  presented  at  the  Court  of  St.  James." 

"  Well,  Miss  Anneke,  I  cannot  say  that  I  agree  with  you 
at  all,  in  this  opinion  of  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  Guert  returned, 
innocently.  "  It  is  true,  he  is  English ;  that  he  fancies 
an  advantage,  as  does  Corny  Littlepage,  here ;  but  we  must 
make  proper  allowances  for  home-love  and  foreign-dis 
like." 

"  «  Corny  Littlepage,  here,'  is  only  half  English,  and  that 
half  is  colony-born  and  colony-bred,"  answered  the  laugh 
ing  girl,  "  and  he  has  loved  a  sleigh  from  the  time  when  ha 
first  slid  down  hill " 

"  Ah  !  Miss  Anneke — let  me  entreat— — " 

"Oh!  no  allusion  is  intended  to  the  Dutch  church  and 
its  neighbourhood  ; — but,  the  sports  of  childhood  are  always 


226  SATANSTOE. 

dear  to  us,  as  are  sometimes  the  discomforts.  Habit  and 
prejudice  are  sister  hand-maidens ;  and  I  never  see  one  of 
these  gentlemen  from  home,  taking  extraordinary  interest 
in  any  of  our  peculiarly  colony  usages,  but  I  distrusted  an 
"extra  amount  of  complaisance,  or  a  sort  of  enjoyment  in 
which  we  do  not  strictly  share." 

"  Is  this  altogether  liberal  to  Bulstrode,  Miss  Anneke,"  I 
ventured  to  put  in ;  "  he  seems  to  like  us,  and  I  am  sure  he 
has  good  reason  so  to  do.  That  he  likes  some  of  us,  is  too 
apparent  to  be  concealed  or  denied." 

"  Mr.  Bulstrode  is  a  skilful  actor,  as  all  who  saw  his  Cato 
must  be  aware,"  retorted  the  charming  girl,  compressing 
her  pouting  lips  in  a  way  that  seemed  to  me  to  be  inexpres 
sibly  pleasing ;  "  and  those  who  saw  his  Scrub  must  be 
equally  convinced  of  the  versatility  of  his  talents.  No,  no ; 
Major  Bulstrode  is  better  where  he  is,  or  will  be  to-day,  at 

four  o'clock — at  the  head  of  the  mess  of  the th,  instead 

of  dining  in  a  snug  Dutch  parlour,  with  my  cousin,  worthy 
Mrs.  van  der  Heyden,  at  a  dinner  got  up  with  colony  hos 
pitality,  and  colony  good-will,  and  colony  plainness.  The 
entertainment  we  shall  receive  to-day,  sweetened,  as  it  will 
be,  by  the  welcome  which  will  come  from  the  heart,  can 
have  no  competitor  in  countries  where  a  messenger  must  be 
sent  two  days  before  the  visit,  to  ask  permission  to  come,  in 
order  to  escape  cold  looks  and  artificial  surprise.  I  would 
prefer  surprising  my  friends  from  the  heart,  instead  of  from 
the  head." 

Guert  expressed  his  astonishment  that  any  one  should  not 
always  be  glad  and  willing  to  receive  his  friends;  and  in 
sisted  on  it,  that  no  such  inhospitable  customs  could  exist. 
I  knew,  however,  that  society  could  not  exist  on  the  same 
terms,  in  old  and  in  new  countries — among  a  people  that 
was  pressed  upon  by  numbers,  and  a  people  that  had  not 
yet  felt  the  evils  of  a  superabundant  population.  Americans 
are  like  dwellers  in  the  country,  who  are  always  glad  to  see 
their  friends ;  and  I  ventured  to  say  something  of  the  causes 
of  these  differences  in  habits. 

Nothing  occurred  worthy  of  being  dwelt  on,  in  our  ride 
to  Kinderhook.  Mrs.  Van  der  Heyden  resided  at  a  short 
distance  from  theriver,  and  the  blacks  and  the  bays  had 
some  little  difficulty  in  dragging  us  through  the  mud  to  her 


SATANSTOE.  227 

tfoor.  Once  there,  however,  our  welcome  fully  verified  the 
theory  of  the  colony  habits,  which  had  been  talked  over  in 
our  drive  down.  Anneke's  worthy  connection  was  not  only 
glad  to  see  her,  as  anybody  might  have  been,  but  she  would 
have  been  glad  to  receive  as  many  as  her  house  would  hold. 
Few  excuses  were  necessary,  for  we  were  all  welcome. 
The  visit  would  retard  her  dinner  an  hour,  as  was  frankly 
admitted — but  that  was  nothing ;  and  cakes  and  wine  were 
set  before  us  in  the  interval,  did  we  feel  hungry  in  conse 
quence  of  a  two  hours'  ride.  Guert  was  desired  to  make 
free,  and  go  to  the  stables  to  give  his  own  orders.  In  a 
word,  our  reception  was  just  that  which  every  colonist  has 
experienced,  when  he  has  gone  unexpectedly  to  visit  a  friend, 
or  a  friend's  friend.  Our  dinner  was  excellent,  though  not 
accompanied  by  much  form.  The  wine  was  good ;  Mrs. 
van  der  Heyden's  deceased  husband  having  been  a  judge 
of  what  was  desirable  in  that  respect.  Everybody  was  in 
good-humour ;  and  our  hostess  insisted  on  giving  us  coffee 
before  we  took  our  departure. 

'4  There  will  be  a  moon,  cousin  Herman,"  she  said,  "  and 
the  night  will  be  both  light  and  pleasant.  Guert  knows  the 
road,  which  cannot  well  be  missed,  as  it  is  the  river;  and 
if  you  quit  me  at  eight,  you  will  reach  home  in  good  season 
to  go  to  rest.  It  is  so  seldom  I  see  you,  that  I  have  a  right 
to  claim  every  minute  you  can  spare.  There  remains  much 
to  be  told  concerning  our  old  friends  and  mutual  relatives." 

When  such  words  are  accompanied  by  looks  and  acts 
that  prove  their  sincerity,  it  is  not  easy  to  tear  ourselves 
away  from  a  pleasant  house.  We  chatted  on,  laughed, 
listened  to  stories  and  colony  anecdotes  that  carried  us  back 
to  the  last  war,  and  heard  a  great  many  eulogiums  on  beaux 
and  belles,  that  we  young  people  had,  all  our  lives,  consi 
dered  as  respectable,  elderly,  common-place  sort  of  persons. 

At  length  the  hour  arrived  when  even  Mrs.  Bogart  her 
self  admitted  we  ought  to  part.  Anneke  and  Mary  were 
kissed,  enveloped  in  their  furs,  and  kissed  again,  and  then 
we  took  our  leave.  As  we  left  the  house,  I  remarked  that  a 
clock  in  the  passage  struck  eight.  In  a  few  minutes  every 
one  was  placed,  and  the  runners  were  striking  fire  from  the 
flints  of  the  bare  ground.  We  had  less  difficulty  in  de 
scending  than  in  ascending  the  bank  of  the  river,  though 


228  8ATANSTOE* 

there  was  no  snow.  It  did  not  absolutely  freeze,  nor  ha:!  it 
actually  frozen  since  the  commencement  of  the  thaw,  but 
the  earth  had  stiffened  since  the  disappearance  of  the  sun* 
I  was  much  rejoiced  when  the  blacks  sprang  upon  the  ice, 
and  whirled  us  away,  on  our  return  road  at  a  rate  even 
exceeding  the  speed  with  which  they  had  come  down  it  in 
the  morning.  I  thought  it  high  time  we  should  be  in  motion 
on  our  return  ;  and  in  motion  we  were,  if  flying  at  the  rate 
of  eleven  miles  in  the  hour  could  thus  be  termed. 

The  light  of  the  moon  was  not  clear  and  bright,  for  there 
was  a  haze  in  the  atmosphere,  as  is  apt  to  occur  in  the  mild 
weather  of  March ;  but  there  was  enough  to  enable  Gueri 
to  dash  ahead  with  as  great  a  velocity  as  was  at  all  desira 
ble.  We  were  all  in  high  spirits ;  us  two  young  men  so 
much  the  more,  because  each  of  us  fancied  he  had  seen  that 
day  evidence  of  a  tender  interest  existing  in  the  heart  of  his 
mistress  towards  himself.  Mary  Wallace  had  managed, 
with  a  woman's  tact,  to  make  her  suitor  appear  even  re 
spectable  in  female  society,  and  had  brought  out  in  him 
many  sentiments  that  denoted  a  generous  disposition  and  a 
manly  heart,  if  not  a  cultivated  intellect ;  and  Guert  was 
getting  confidence,  and  with  it  the  means  of  giving  his  capa 
city  fairer  play.  As  for  Anneke,  she  now  knew  rny  aim, 
and  I  had  some  right  to  construe  several  little  symptoms  of 
feeling,  that  escaped  her  in  the  course  of  the  day,  favour 
ably.  I  fancied  that,  gentle  as  it  always  was,  her  voice 
grew  softer,  and  her  smile  sweeter  and  more  winning,  as 
she  addressed  herself  to,  or  smiled  on  me;  and  she  did  just 
enough  of  both  not  to  appear  distant,  and  just  little  enough 
to  appear  conscious ;  at  least  such  were  the  conjectures  of 
one  who  I  do  not  think  could  be  properly  accused  of  too 
much  confidence,  and  whose  natural  diffidence  was  much 
increased  by  the  self-distrust  of  the  purest  love. 

Away  we  went,  Guerfs  complicated  chimes  of  bells 
jingling  their  merry  notes  in  a  manner  to  be  heard  half  a 
mile,  the  horses  bearing  hard  on  the  bits,  for  they  knew  that 
their  own  stables  lay  at  the  end  of  their  journey,  and  Her 
man  Mordaunt's  bays  keeping  so  near  us  that,  notwithstand 
ing  the  noise  we  made  with  our  own  bells,  the  sounds  of 
his  were  constantly  in  our  ears.  An  hour  went  swiftly  by, 
lind  we  had  already  passed  Coejeman's,  and  had  a  hamlet 


8ATAN9TOE. 

that  stretched  along  the  strand,  and  which  lay  quite  beneath 
the  high  bank  of  the  river,  in  dim  distant  view.  This  place 
has  since  been  known  by  the  name  of  Monkey  Town,  and 
is  a  little  remarkable  as  being  the  first  cluster  of  houses  on 
the  shores  of  the  Hudson  after  quitting  Albany.  I  dare 
say  it  has  another  name  in  law,  but  Guert  gave  it  the  appel 
lation  I  have  mentioned. 

I  have  said  that  the  night  had  a  sombre,  misty,  light,  the 
moon  wading  across  the  heavens  through  a  deep  but  thin 
ocean  of  vapour.  We  saw  the  shores  plainly  enough,  and 
we  saw  the  houses  and  trees,  but  it  was  difficult  to  distin 
guish  smaller  objects  at  any  distance.  In  the  course  of  the 
day  twenty  sleighs  had  been  met  or  passed,  but  at  that  hour 
everybody  but  ourselves  appeared  to  have  deserted  the  river. 
It  was  getting  late  for  the  simple  habits  of  those  who  dwelt 
on  its  shores.  When  about  half-way  between  the  islands 
opposite  to  Coejeman's  and  the  hamlet  just  named,  Guert, 
who  stood  erect  to  drive,  told  us1  that  some  one  who  was 
out  late,  like  themselves,  was  coming  down.  The  horses 
of  the  strangers  were  in  a  very  fast  trot,  and  the  sleigh 
was  evidently  inclining  towards  the  west  shore,  as  if  those 
it  held  intended  to  land  at  no  great  distance.  As  it  passed, 
quite  swiftly,  a  man's  voice  called  out  something  on  a  high 
key,  but  our  bells  made  so  much  noise  that  it  was  not  easy 
to  understand  him.  He  spoke  in  Dutch,  too,  and  none  of 
our  ears,  those  of  Guert  excepted,  were  sufficiently  expert 
in  that  language  to  be  particularly  quick  in  comprehending 
what  he  said.  The  call  passed  unheeded,  then,  such  things 
being  quite  frequent  among  the  Dutch,  who  seldom  passed 
each  other  on  the  highway  without  a  greeting  of  some  sort 
or  other.  I  was  thinking  o*  this  practice,  and  of  the  points 
that  distinguished  our  own  habits  from  those  of  the  people 
of  this  part  of  the  colony,  when  sleigh-bells  sounded  quite 
near  me,  and  turning  my  head,  I  saw  Herman  Mordaunt's 
bays  galloping  close  to  us,  as  if  wishing  to  get  alongside. 
At  the  next  moment  the  object  was  enected,  and  Guert 
pulled  up. 

"  Did  you  understand  the  man  who  passed  down,  Guert  ?" 
demanded  Herman  Mordaunt,  as  soon  as  all  noises  ceased. 
"  He  called  out  to  us,  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and  would 
hardly  do  that  without  an  object." 
20 


230  8ATANSTOE. 

"  These  men  seldom  go  home,  after  a  visit  to  Albany, 
without  filling  their  jugs,"  answered  Guert,  drily ;  "  what 
could  he  have  to  say,  more  than  to  wish  us  good-night  ?" 

"  I  cannot  tell,  but  Mrs.  Bogart  thought  she  understood 
something  about  *  Albany,'  and  '  the  river.'  " 

"  The  ladies  always  fancy  Albany  is  to  sink  into  the 
river  after  a  great  thaw,"  answered  Guert,  good-humoured- 
ly  ;  "  but  I  can  show  either  of  them  that  the  ice  is  sixteen 
inches  thick,  here  where  we  stand." 

Guert  then  gave  me  the  reins,  stepped  out  of  the  sleigh, 
went  a  short  distance  to  a  large  crack  that  he  had  seen 
while  speaking,  and  returned  with  a  thumb  placed  on  the 
handle  of  the  whip,  as  a  measure  to  show  that  his  statement 
was  true.  The  ice,  at  that  spot,  was  certainly  nearer  eigh 
teen  than  sixteen  inches  thick.  Herman  Mordaunt  showed 
the  measure  to  Mrs.  Bogart,  whose  alarm  was  pacified  by 
this  positive  proof.  Neither  Anneke  nor  Mary  exhibited 
any  fear ;  but,  on  the  c&itrary,  as  the  sleighs  separated 
again,  each  had  something  pleasant,  but  feminine,  to  say  at 
the  expense  of  poor  Mrs.  Bogart's  imagination. 

I  believe  I  was  the  only  person  in  our  own  sleigh  who  felt 
any  alarm,  after  the  occurrence  of  this  little  incident.  Why 
uneasiness  beset  me,  I  cannot  precisely  say.  It  must  have 
been  altogether  on  Anneke's  account,  and  not  in  the  least 
on  my  own.  Such  accidents  as  sleighs  breaking  through, 
on  our  New  York  lakes  and  rivers,  happened  almost  every 
winter,  and  horses  were  often  drowned  ;  though  it  was  sel 
dom  the  consequences  proved  so  serious  to  their  owners. 
I  recalled  to  mind  the  fragile  nature  of  ice,  the  necessary 
effects  of  the  great  thaw  and  the  heavy  rains,  remembering 
that  frozen  water  might  still  retain  most  of  its  apparent 
thickness,  after  its  consistency  was  greatly  impaired.  But, 
I  could  do  nothing !  If  we  landed,  the  roads  were  impassa 
ble  for  runners,  almost  for  wheels,  and  another  hour  might 
carry  the  ladies,  by  means  of  the  river,  to  their  comfortable 
homes.  That  day,  however,  which,  down  to  the  moment 
of  meeting  the  unknown  sleigh,  had  been  the  very  happiest 
of  my  life,  was  entirely  changed  in  its  aspect,  and  I  no 
longer  regarded  it  with  any  satisfaction.  Had  Anneke  been 
at  home,  I  could  gladly  have  entered  into  a  contract  to  pass 


3ATANSTOE.  231 

on  the  river  myself,  as  the  condition  of  her  safety, 
I  thought  but  little  of  the  others,  to  my  shame  be  it  said, 
though  I  cannot  do  myself  the  injustice  to  imagine,  had 
Anneke  been  away,  that  I  would  have  deserted  even  a 
horse,  while  there  was  a  hope  of  saving  him. 

Away  we  went!  Guert  drove  rapidly,  but  he  drove  with 
judgment,  and  it  seemed  as  if  his  blacks  knew  what  was 
expected  of  them.  It  was  not  long  before  we  were  trotting 
past  the  hamlet  I  have  mentioned.  It  would  seem  that  the 
bells  of  the  two  sleighs  attracted  the  attention  of  the  people 
on  the  shore,  all  of  whom  had  not  yet  gone  to  bed ;  for  the 
door  of  a  house  opened,  and  two  men  issued  out  of  it,  gazing 
at  us  as  we  trotted  past  at  a  pace  that  defied  pursuit.  These 
men  also  hallooed  to  us,  in  Dutch,  and  again  Herman  Mor- 
daunt  galloped  up  alongside,  to  speak  to  us. 

"  Did  you  understand  these  men?"  he  called  out,  for  this 
time  Guert  did  not  see  fit  to  stop  his  horses ;  "  they,  too, 
had  something  to  tell  us." 

*'  These  people  always  have  something  to  tell  an  Albany 
sleigh,  Mr.  Mordaunt,"  answered  Guert ;  "  though  it  is  not 
often  that  which  it  would  do  any  good  to  hear." 

"  But  Mrs.  Bogart  thinks  they  also  had  something  to  say 
about  '  Albany,'  and  the  *  river.'  " 

"  I  understand  Dutch  as  well  as  excellent  Mrs.  Bogart," 
said  Guert,  a  little  drily ;  "  and  I  heard  nothing ;  while  I 
fancy  I  understand  the  river  better.  This  ice  would  bear  a 
dozen  loads  of  hay,  in  a  close  line." 

This  again  satisfied  Herman  Mordaunt  and  the  ladies,  but 
it  did  not  satisfy  me.  Our  own  bells  made  four  times  the 
noise  of  those  of  Herman  Mordaunt ;  and  it  was  very  pos 
sible  that  one,  who  understood  Dutch  perfectly,  might  com 
prehend  a  call  in  that  language,  while  seated  in  his  own 
sleigh,  when  the  same  call  could  not  be  comprehended  by 
the  same  person,  while  seated  in  Guert's.  There  was  no 
pause,  however ;  on  we  trotted ;  and  another  mile  was  passed, 
before  any  new  occurrence  attracted  attention. 

The  laugh  was  again  heard  among  us,  for  Mary  Wallace 
consented  to  sing  an  air,  that  was  rendered  somewhat  ludi 
crous  by  the  accompaniment  of  the  bells.  This  song,  or 


232  SATANSTOE. 

verse  or  two,  for  the  singer  got  no  further  on  account  of  the 
interruption,  had  drawn  Guert's  and  my  attention  behind  us, 
or  away  from  the  horses,  when  a  whirling  sound  was  heard, 
followed  immediately  by  a  loud  shout.  A  sleigh  passed 
within  ten  yards  of  us,  going  down,  and  the  whirling  sound 
was  caused  by  its  runners,  while  the  shout  came  from  a 
solitary  man,  who  stood  erect,  waving  his  whip  and  calling 
to  us  in  a  loud  voice,  as  long  as  he  could  be  heard.  This 
was  but  for  a  moment,  however,  as  his  horses  were. on  the 
run ;  and  the  last  we  could  see  of  the  man,  through  the 
misty  moon-light,  he  had  turned  his  whip  on  his  team,  to 
urge  it  ahead  still  faster.  In  an  instant,  Herman  Mordaunt 
was  at  our  side,  for  the  third  time  that  night,  and  he  called 
out  to  us  somewhat  authoritatively  to  stop. 

"What  can  all  this  mean,  Guert  ?"  he  asked.  "Three 
times  have  we  had  warnings  about  'Albany'  and  the  *  river.' 
I  heard  this  man  myself  utter  those  two  words,  and  cannot 
be  mistaken." 

"  I  dare  say,  sir,  that  you  may  have  heard  something  of 
the  sort,"  answered  the  still  incredulous  Guert ;  "  for  these 
chaps  have  generally  some  impertinence  to  utter,  when  they 
pass  a  team  that  is  better  than  their  own.  These  blacks  of 
mine,  Herman  Mordaunt,  awaken  a  good  deal  of  envy, 
whenever  I  go  out  with  them  ;  and  a  Dutchman  will  forgive 
you  any  other  superiority,  sooner  than  he  will  overlook 
your  having  the  best  team.  That  last  man  had  a  spur  in 
his  head,  moreover,  and  is  driving  his  cattle,  at  this  moment, 
more  like  a  spook  than  like  a  humane  and  rational  being.  I 
dare  say  he  asked  if  we  owned  Albany  and  the  river." 

Guert's  allusion  to  his  horses  occasioned  a  general  laugh; 
and  laughter  is  little  favourable  to  cool  reflection.  We  all 
looked  out  on  the  solemn  and  silent  night,  cast  our  eyes 
along  the  wide  and  long  reach  of  the  river,  in  which  we 
happened  to  be,  and  saw  nothihg  but  the  calm  of  nature, 
rendered  imposing  by  solitude  and  the  stillness  of  the  hour. 
Guert  smilingly  renewed  his  assurances  that  all  was  right, 
and  moved  on.  Away  we  went !  Guert  evidently  pressed 
his  horses,  as  if  desirous  of  being  placed  beyond  this  anxiety 
as  soon  as  possible.  The  blacks  flew,  rather  than  trotted ; 
and  we  were  all  beginning  to  submit  to  the  exhilaration  of 


SATANSTOE 


233 


so  rapid  and  easy  a  motion,  when  a  sound  which  resembled 
that  which  one  might  suppose  the  simultaneous  explosion  of 
a  thousand  rifles  would  produce,  was  heard,  and  caused  both 
drivers  to  pull  up;  the  sleighs  stopping  quite  near  each  other, 
and  at  the  same  instant !  A  slight  exclamation  escaped  old 
Mrs.  Bogart ;  but  Anneke  and  Mary  remained  still  as  death. 
"  What  means  that  sound,  Guert?"  inquired  Herman 
Mordaunt ;  the  concern  he  felt  being  betrayed  by  the  very 
tone  of  his  voice.  "  Something  seems  wrong  !" 

"  Something  is  wrong,"  answered  Guert,  coolly,  but  very 
decidedly;  "  and  it  is  something  that  must  be  seen  to." 

As  this  was  said,  Guert  stepped  out  on  the  ice,  which  he 
struck  a  hard  blow  with  the  heel  of  his  boot,  as  if  to  make 
certain  of  its  ^>lidity.  A  second  report  was  heard,  and  it 
evidently  came  from  behind  us.  Guert  gazed  intently  down 
the  river ;  then  he  laid  his  head  close  to  the  surface  of  the 
ice,  and  looked  again.  At  the  same  time,  three  or  four  more 
of  these  startling  reports  followed  each  other  in  quick  suc 
cession.  Guert  instantly  rose  to  his  feet. 

."  I  understand  it,  now,"  he  said,  "and  find  I  have  been 
rather  too  confident.  The  ice,  however,  is  safe  and  strong, 
and  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from  its  weakness.  Perhaps 
it  would  be  better  to  quit  the  river  notwithstanding,  though 
I  am  far  from  certain  the  better  course  will  not  be  to 
push  on." 

"  Let  us  know  the  danger  at  once,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,"  said 
Herman  Mordaunt,  "  that  we  may  decide  for  the  best." 

"  Why,  sir,  I  am  afraid  that  the  rains  and  the  thaw  to- 
gether,  have  thrown  so  much  water  into  the  river,  all  at 
once,  as  it  might  be,  as  to  have  raised  the  ice  and  broken  it 
loose,  in  spots,  from  the  shores.  When  this  happens  above, 
before  the  ice  has  disappeared  below,  it  sometimes  causes 
dams  to  form,  which  heap  up  such  a  weight  as  to  break  the 
whole  plain  of  ice  far  below  it,  and  thus  throw  cakes  ovei 
cakes  until  walls  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high  are  formed. 
This  has  not  happened  yet,  therefore  there  is  no  immediate 
danger ;  but  by  bending  your  heads  low,  you  can  see  that 
such  a  break  has  just  taken  place  about  half  a  mile  below 
us." 

20* 


234 


SATAN  STOE 


We  did  as  Guert  directed,  and  saw  that  a  mound  had 
arisen  across  the  river  nearer  than  the  distance  named  by 
our  companion,  completely  cutting  off  retreat  by  the  way 
we  had  come.  The  bank  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson 
was  high  at  the  point  where  we  were,  and  looking  intensely 
at  it,  I  saw  by  the  manner  in  which  the  trees  disappeared, 
the  more  distant  behind  those  that  were  nearer,  that  we  were 
actually  in  motion!  An  involuntary  exclamation  caused 
the  whole  party  to  comprehend  this  startling  fact  at  the  same 
instant.  We  were  certainly  in  motion,  though  very  slowly, 
on  the  ice  of  that  swollen  river,  in  the  quiet  and  solitude  of 
a  night  in  which  the  moon  rather  aided  in  making  danger 
apparent  than  in  assisting  us  to  avoid  it !  What  was  to  be 
do-ne?  It  was  necessary  to  decide,  and  tha^promptly  and 
intelligently. 

We  waited  for  Herman  Mordaunt  to  advise  us,  but  he 
referred  the  matter  at  once  to  Guert's  greater  experience. 

"  We  cannot  land  here,"  answered  the  young  man,  "  so 
long  as  the  ice  is  in  motion,  and  I  think  it  better  to  push  on. 
Every  foot  will  bring  us  so  much  nearer  to  Albany,  and  we 
shall  get  among  the  islands  a  mile  or  two  higher,  where  th'e 
chances  of  landing  will  be  greatly  increased.  Besides,  I 
have  often  crossed  the  river  on  a  cake,  for  they  frequently 
stop,  and  I  have  known  even  loaded  sleighs  profit  by  them 
to  get  over  the  river.  As  yet  there  is  nothing  very 
alarming  ; — let  us  push  on,  and  get  nearer  to  the  islands." 

This,  then,  was  done,  though  there  was  no  longer  heard 
the  laugh  or  the  song  among  us.  I  could  see  that  Herman 
Mordaunt  was  uneasy  about  Anneke,  though  he  could  not 
bring  her  into  his  own  sleigh,  leaving  Mary  Wallace  alone; 
neither  could  he  abandon  his  respectable  connection,  Mrs. 
Bogart.  Before  we  re-entered  the  sleighs,  I  took  an  occa 
sion  to  assure  him  that  Anneke  should  be  my  especial  care. 

"  God  bless  rou,  Corny,  my  dear  boy,"  Herman  Mor 
daunt  answered,  squeezing  my  hand  with  fervour.  "  God 
bless  you,  and  enable  you  to  protect  her.  I  was  about  to 
ask  you  to  change  seats  with  me;  but,  on  the  whole,  I  think 
my  child  will  be  safer  with  you  than  she  could  be  with  me. 
We  will  await  God's  pleasure  as  accident  has  placed  us." 


SATANSTOE.  235 

«« I  will  desert  her  only  with  life,  Mr.  Mordaunt.  Be  at 
ease  on  that  subject." 

11 1  know  you  will  not — I  am  sure  you  will  not,  Little- 
page  ;  that  affair  of  the  lion  is  a  pledge  that  you  will  not. 
Had  Bulstrode  come,  we  should  have  been  strong  enough 

to but  Guert  is  impatient  to  be  off.  God  bless  you,  boy 

— God  bless  you.  Do  not  neglect  my  child." 

Guert  was  impatient,  and  no  sooner  was  I  in  the  sleigh 
than  we  were  once  more  in  rapid  motion.  I  said  a  few 
words  to  encourage  the  girls,  and  then  no  sound  of  a  human 
voice  mingled  with  the  gloomy  scene. 


230  SATANSTOE, 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

He  started  up,  each  limb  convulsed 

With  agonizing  fear, 
He  only  heard  the  storm  of  night— 

'T  was  music  to  his  ear. 

Lord  William. 

AWAY  we  went !  Guert's  aim  was  the  islands,  which 
carried  him  nearer  home,  while  it  offered  a  place  of  retreat, 
in  the  event  of  the  danger's  becoming  more  serious.  The 
fierce  rapidity  with  which  we  now  moved  prevented  all  con 
versation,  or  even  much  reflection.  The  reports  of  the 
rending  ice,  however,  became  more  and  more  frequent,  first 
coming  from  above,  and  then  from  below.  More  than  once 
it  seemed  as  if  the  immense  mass  of  weight  that  had  evi 
dently  collected  somewhere  near  the  town  of  Albany,  was 
about  to  pour  down  upon  us  in  a  flood — when  the  river 
would  have  been  swept  for  miles,  by  a  resistless  torrent. 
Nevertheless,  Guert  held  on  his  way ;  firstly,  because  he 
knew  it  would  be  impossible  to  get  on  either  of  the  main 
shores,  anywhere  near  the  point  where  we  happened  to  be ; 
and  secondly,  because,  having  often  seen  similar  damrningg 
of  the  waters,  he  fancied  we  were  still  safe.  That  the 
distant  reader  may  understand  the  precise  character  of  the 
danger  we  ran,  it  may  be  well  to  give  him  some  notion  of 
the  localities. 

The  banks  of  the  Hudson  are  generally  high  and  pre 
cipitous,  and  in  some  places  they  are  mountainous.  No 
flats  worthy  of  being  mentioned,  occur,  until  Albany  is  ap 
proached  ;  nor  are  those  which  lie  south  of  that  town,  of 
any  great  extent,  compared  with  the  size  of  the  stream.  la 
this  particular  the  Mohawk  is  a  very  different  river,  having 
extensive  flats  that,  I  .Have  been  told,  resemble  those  of  the 


SATANSTOE.  237 

Rhine,  in  miniature.  As  for  the  Hudson,  it  is  generally 
esteemed  in  the  colony  as  a  very  pleasing  river ;  and  I  re- 
member  to  have  heard  intelligent  people  from  home,  admit, 
that  even  the  majestic  Thames  itself,  is  scarcely  more  worthy 
to  be  visited,  or  that  it  better  rewards  the  trouble  and  curi 
osity  of  the  enlightened  traveller.* 

While  there  are  flats  on  the  shores  of  the  Hudson,  and 
of  some  extent,  in  the  vicinity  of  Albany,  the  general  forma 
tion  of  the  adjacent  country  is  preserved, — being  high,  bold, 
and  in  some  quarters,  more  particularly  to  the  northward 
and  eastward,  mountainous.  Among  these  hills  the  stream 
meanders  for  sixty  or  eighty  miles  north  of  the  town,  re 
ceiving  tributaries  as  it  comes  rushing  down  towards  the 
sea.  The  character  of  the  river  changes  entirely,  a  short 
distance  above  Albany;  the  tides  flowing  to  that  point, 
rendering  it  navigable,  and  easy  of  ascent  in  summer,  all 
the  way  from  the  sea.  Of  the  tributaries,  the  principal  is 
the  Mohawk,  which  runs  a  long  distance  towards  the  west — 
they  tell  me,  for  I  have  never  visited  these  remote  parts  of 
the  colony — among  fertile  plains,  that  are  bounded  north  and 
south  by  precipitous  highlands.  Now,  in  the  spring,  when 
the  vast  quantities  of  snow,  that  frequently  lie  four  feet  deep 
in  the  forests,  and  among  the  mountains  and  valleys  of  the 
interior,  are  suddenly  melted  by  the  south  winds  and  rains, 
freshets  necessarily  succeed,  which  have  been  known  to  do 
great  injury.  The  flats  of  the  Mohawk,  they  tell  me,  are 
annually  overflown,  and  a  moderate  freshet  is  deemed  a  bless 
ing  ;  but,  occasionally,  a  union  of  the  causes  I  have  men- 

*  This  remark  of  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage's,  may  induce  a  smile 
in  the  reader.  But,  few  persons  of  fifty  can  be  found,  who  cannot 
recall  the  time,  when  it  was  a  rare  thing  to  imagine  anything  Ame. 
rican,  as  good  as  its  English  counterpart.  The  American  who  could 
write  a  book — a  real,  live  book — forty  years  since,  was  a  sort  of  pro- 
digy.  It  was  the  same  with  him  who  could  paint  any  picture  beyond 
a  common  portrait.  The  very  fruits  and  natural  productions  of  the 
country  were  esteemed,  doubtingly ;  and  he  was  a  bold  man  who 
dared  to  extol  even  canvass-back  ducks,  in  the  year  1800!  At  the 
present  day,  the  feeling  is  fast  undergoing  an  organic  change.  It  is  now 
the  fashion  to  extol  everything  American,  and  from  submitting  to  a 
degree  that  was  almost  abject,  to  the  feeling  of  colonial  dependency, 
the  country  is  filled,  to-day,  with  the  most  profound  provincial  self! 
admiration.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  next  change  will  bring  us  to 
something-  like  the  truth. — EDITOR. 


238  SATAN  STOE. 

tioned,  produces  a  species  of  deluge  that  has  a  very  opposite 
character.  Thus  it  is,  that  houses  are  swept  away;  and 
bridges  from  the  smaller  mountain  streams,  have  been  known 
to  come  floating  past  the  wharves  of  Albany,  holding  their 
way  towards  the  ocean.  At  such  times  the  tides  produce 
no  counter-current ;  for  it  is  a  usual  thing,  in  the  early 
months  of  the  spring,  to  have  the  stream  pour  downwards 
for  weeks,  the  whole  length  of  the  river,  and  to  find  the 
water  fresh  even  as  low  as  New  York. 

Such  was  the  general  nature  of  the  calamity  we  had 
been  so  unexpectedly  made  to  encounter.  The  winter  had 
been  severe,  and  the  snows  unusually  deep;  and,  as  we 
drove  furiously  onward,  I  remembered  to  have  heard  my 
grandfather  predict  extraordinary  freshets  in  the  spring, 
from  the  character  of  the  winter,  as  we  had  found  it,  even 
previously  to  my  quitting  home.  The  great  thaw,  and  the 
heavy  rains  of  the  late  storm,  had  produced  the  usual  effect ; 
and  the  waters  thus  let  loose,  among  the  distant,  as  well  as 
the  nearer  hills,  were  now  pouring  down  upon  us  in  their 
collected  might.  In  such  cases,  the  first  effect  is,  to  looseiv 
the  ice  from  the  shores ;  and,  local  causes  forcing  it  to  give 
way  at  particular  points,  a  breaking  up  of  its  surface  occurs, 
and  dams  are  formed  that  set  the  stream  back  in  floods  upon 
all  the  adjacent  low  land,  such  as  the  flats  in  the  vicinity  of 
Albany. 

We  did  not  then  know  it,  but,  at  the  very  moment  Guert 
was  thus  urging  his  blacks  to  supernatural  efforts — actually 
running  them  as  if  on  a  race-course — there  was  a  long 
reach  of  the  Hudson,  opposite  to,  for  a  short  distance  below, 
and  for  a  considerable  distance  above  the  town,  which  was 
quite  clear  of  stationary  ice.  Vast  cakes  continued  to  come 
down,  it  is  true,  passing  on  to  increase  the  dam  that  had 
formed  below,  near  and  on  the  Overslaugh,  where  it  was 
buttressed  by  the  islands,  and  rested  on  the  bottom ;  but  the 
whole  of  that  firm  field,  on  which  we  had  first  driven  forth 
that  morning,  had  disappeared  !  This  we  did  not  know  at 
the  time,  or  it  might  have  changed  the  direction  of  Guert's 
movements;  but  I  learned  it  afterwards,  when  placed  in  a 
situation  to  inquire  into  the  causes  of  what  had  occurred. 

Herman  Mordaunt's  bells,  and  the  rumbling  sound  of  his 
runners,  were  heard  close  behind  us,  as  our  own  sleigh  flew 


SATANSTOE.  239 

along  the  river  at  a  rate  that  I  firmly  believe  could  not  have 
been  much  less  than  that  of  twenty  miles  in  the  hour.  As 
we  were  whirled  northward,  the  reports  made  by  the  rending 
of  the  ice  increased  in  frequency  and  force.  They  really 
became  appalling!  Still,  the  girls  continued  silent,  main 
taining  their  self-command  in  a  most  admirable  mariner; 
though  I  doubt  not  that  they  felt,  in  the  fullest  extent,  the 
true  character  of  the  awful  circumstances  in  which  we  were 
placed.  Such  was  the  state  of  things,  as  Guert's  blacks 
began  sensibly  to  relax  in  their  speed,  for  want  of  wind. 
They  still  galloped  on,  but  it  was  no  longer  with  the  swift 
ness  of  the  wind  ;  and  their  master  became  sensible  of  the 
folly  of  hoping  to  reach  the  town  ere  the  catastrophe  should 
arrive.  He  reined  in  his  panting  horses,  therefore,  and  was 
just  falling  into  a  trot,  as  a  violent  report  was  heard  directly 
in  our  front.  At  the  next  instant  the  ice  rose,  positively, 
beneath  our  horses'  hoofs,  to  the  height  of  several  feet,  taking 
the  form  of  the  roof  of  a  house.  It  was  too  late  to  retreat, 
and  Guert  shouting  out  "  Jack" — "  Moses,"  applied  the  whip, 
and  the  spirited  animals  actually  went  over  the  mound, 
leaping  a  crack  three  feet  in  width,  and  reaching  the  level 
ice  beyond.  All  this  was  done,  as  it  might  be,  in  the  twink 
ling  of  an  eye.  While  the  sleigh  flew  over  this  ridge,  it 
was  with  difficulty  I  held  the  girls  in  their  seats ;  though 
Guert  stood  nobly  erect,  like  the  pine  that  is  too  firmly 
rooted  to  yield  to  the  tempest.  No  sooner  was  the  danger 
passed,  however,  than  he  'pulled  up,  and  came  to  a  dead  halt. 

We  beard  the  bells  of  Herman  Mordaunt's  sleigh,  on  the 
other  s'de  of  the  barrier,  but  could  see  nothing.  The 
broken  cakes,  pressed  upon  by  millions  of  tons  weight 
above,  had  risen  fully  ten  feet,  into  an  inclination  that  was 
nearly  perpendicular ;  rendering  crossing  it  next  to  impos 
sible,  even  to  one  afoot.  Then  came  Herman  Mordaunt's 
voice,  filled  with  paternal  agony,  and  human  grief,  to  in 
crease  the  awe  of  that  dreadful  moment ! 

"  Shore  ! — shore  ! — "  he  shouted,  or  rather  yelled — "  In 
the  name  of  a  righteous  Providence,  to  the  shore,  Guert !" 

The  bells  passed  off  towards  the  western  bank,  and  the 
rumbling  of  the  runners  accompanied  their  sound.  That 
was  a  breathless  moment  to  us  four.  We  heard  the  rending 
and  grinding  of  the  ice,  on  all  sides  of  us ;  saw  the  broken 


240  SATANSTOE. 

barriers  behind  and  in  front ;  heard  the  jingling  of  Herman 
Mordaunt's  bells,  as  it  became  more  and  more  distant,  and 
finally  ceased ;  and  felt  as  if  we  were  cut  off  from  the  rest 
of  our  species.  1  do  not  think  either  of  us  felt  any  appre 
hension  of  breaking  through ;  for  use  had  so  accustomed  us 
to  the  field  of  the  river,  while  the  more  appalling  grounds 
of  alarm  were  so  evident,  that  no  one  thought  of  such  a 
source  of  danger.  Nor  was  there  much,  in  truth,  to  appre 
hend  from  that  cause.  The  thaw  had  not  lasted  long  enough 
materially  to  diminish  either  the  thickness  or  the  tenacity 
of  the  common  river  ice ;  though  it  was  found  unequal  to 
resisting  the  enormous  pressure  that  bore  upon  it  from  above. 
It  is  probable  that  a  cake  of  an  acre's  size  would  have  up 
held,  not  only  ourselves,  but  our  sleigh  and  horses,  and 
carried  us,  like  a  raft,  down  the  stream ;  had  there  been 
such  a  cake,  free  from  stationary  impediments.  Even  the 
girls  now  comprehended  the  danger,  which  was  in  a  manner 
suspended  over  us, —  as  the  impending  wreath  of  snow 
menaces  the  fall  of  the  avalanche.  But,  it  was  no  moment 
for  indecision  or  inaction. 

Cut  off,  as  we  were,  by  an  impassable  barrier  of  ice,  from 
the  route  taken  by  Herman  Mordaunt,  it  was  necessary  to 
come  to  some  resolution  on  our  own  course.  We  had  the 
choice  of  endeavouring  to  pass  to  the  western  shore,  on  the 
upper  side  of  the  barrier,  or  of  proceeding  towards  the  near 
est  of  several  low  islands  which  lay  in  the  opposite  direc 
tion.  Guert  determined  on  the  last,  walking  his  horses  to 
the  point  of  land,  there  being  no  apparent  necessity  for  haste, 
while  the  animals  greatly  needed  breath.  As  we  went  along, 
he  explained  to  us  that  the  fissure  below  cut  us  off  from  the 
only  point  where  landing  on  the  western  shore  could  be 
practicable.  At  the  same  time,  he  put  in  practice  a  pious 
fraud,  which  had  an  excellent  effect  on  the  feelings  and 
conduct  of  both  the  girls,  throughout  the  remainder  of  the 
trying  scenes  of  that  fearful  night ;  more  especially  on  those 
of  Anneke.  He  dwelt  on  the  good  fortune  of  Herman  Mor 
daunt,  in  being  on  the  right  side  of  the  barrier  that  sepa 
rated  the  sleighs,  in  a  way  to  induce  those  who  did  not 
penetrate  his  motive,  to  fancy  the  rest  of  the  party  was  in  a 
place  of  security,  as  the  consequence  of  this  accident. 


SATANSTOE.  24 1 

Thus  did  A.nneke  believe  her  father  safe,  and  thus  was  she 
relieved  from  much  agonizing  doubt. 

As  soon  as  the  sleigh  came  near  the  point  of  the  island, 
Guert  gave  me  the  reins,  and  went  ahead  to  examine 
whether  it  were  possible  to  land.  He  was  absent  fifteen 
minutes;  returning  to  us  only  after  he  had  made  a  thorough 
.search  into- the  condition  of  the  island,  as  well  as  of  that  of 
the  ice  in  its  eastern  channel.  These  were  fifteen  fearful 
minutes  ;  the  rending  of  the  masses  abave,  and  the  grinding 
of  cake  on  cake,  sounding  like  the  roar  of  the  ocean  in  a 
tempest.  Notwithstanding  all  the  awful  accessories  of  this 
dreadful  night,  I  could  not  but  admire  Guert's  coolness  of 
manner,  and  his  admirable  conduct.  He  was  more  than 
resolute ;  for  he  was  cool,  collected,  and  retained  the  use  of 
all  his  faculties  in  perfection.  As  plausible  as  it  might  seem, 
to  one  less  observant  and  clear-headed,  to  attempt  escaping 
to  the  western  shore,  Guert  had  decided  right  in  moving  to 
wards  the  island.  The  grinding  of  the  ice,  in  another  quarter, 
had  apprised  him  that  the  water  was  forcing  its  way  through, 
near  the  main  land  ;  and  that  escape  would  be  nearly  hope 
less,  on  that  side  of  the  river.  When  he  rejoined  us,  he 
called  me  to  the  heads  of  the  horses,  for  a  conference;  first 
solemnly  assuring  our  precious  companions  that  there  were 
no  grounds  for  immediate  apprehension.  Mary  Wallace 
anxiously  asked  him  to  repeat  this  to  her,  on  the  faith  due 
from  man  to  woman  ;  and  he  did  it ;  when  I  was  permitted 
to  join  him  without  further  opposition. 

"Corny,"  said  Guert,  in  a  low  tone,  "Providence  has 
punished  me  for  my  wicked  wish  of  seeing  Mary  Wallace  in 
the  claws  of  lions;  for  all  the  s-avage  beasts  of  the  Old 
World,  could  hardly  make  our  case  more  desperate  than  it 
now  is.  We  must  be  cool,  however,  and  preserve  the  girls, 
or  die  like  men." 

"  Our  fates  are,  and  must  be,  the  same.  Do  you  devote 
yourself  to  Mary,  and  leave  Anneke  to  me.  But,  why  this 
language ;  surely,  our  case  is  by  no  means  so  desperate." 

"  It  might  not  be  so  difficult  for  two  active,  vigorous  young 
men  to  get  ashore ;  but  it  would  be  different  with  females. 
The  ice  is  in  motion  all  around  us  ;  and  the  cakes  are  piling 
and  grinding  on  each  other  in  a  most  fearful  manner.  Were 
it  light  enough  to  see,  we  should  do  much  better ;  but,  as  it 
21 


242  SATANSTOE. 

is,  I  dare  not  trust  Mary  Wallace  any  distance  from  this 
island,  at  present.  We  may  be  compelled  to  pass  the  night 
here,  and  must  make  provision  accordingly.  You  hear  the 
ice  grinding  on  the  shore ;  a  sign  that  everything  is  going 
down  stream. — God  send  that  the  waters  break  through,  ere 
long ;  though  they  may  sweep  all  before  them,  when  they 
do  come.  I  fear  me,  Corny,  that  Herman  Mordaunt  and 
his  party  are  lost !" 

"  Merciful  Providence!  — can  it  be  as  bad  as  that !  —  I 
rather  hope  they  have  reached  the  land." 

"  That  is  impossible,  on  the  course  they  took.  Even  a 
man  would  be  bewildered  and  swept  away,  in  the  torrent 
that  is  driving  down  under  the  west  shore.  It  is  that  vent 
to  the  water,  which  saves  us.  But,  no  more  words. — You 
now  understand  the  extent  of  the  danger,  and  will  know 
what  you  are  about.  We  must  get  our  precious  charge  on 
the  island,  if  possible,  without  further  delay.  Half  an  hour 
— nay,  half  a  minute  may  bring  down  the  torrent." 

Guert  took  the  direction  of  everything.  Even  while  we 
had  been  talking,  the  ice  had  moved  materially;  and  we 
found  ourselves  fifty  feet  further  from  the  island  than  we 
had  been.  By  causing  the  horses  to  advance,  this  distance 
was  soon  recovered ;  but  it  was  found  impossible  to'lead  or 
drive  them  over  the  broken  cakes  with  which  the  shore  of 
the  island  now  began  to  be  lined.  After  one  or  two  spirited 
and  determined  efforts,  Guert  gave  the  matter  up,  and  asked 
me  to  help  the  ladies  from  the  sleigh.  Never  did  women 
behave  better,  than  did  these  delicate  and  lovely  girls,  on 
an  occasion  so  awfully  trying.  Without  remonstrances, 
tears,  exclamations  or  questions,  both  did  as  desired ;  and  I 
cannot  express  the  feeling  of  security  I  felt,  when  I  had 
helped  each  over  the  broken  and  grinding  border  of  white 
ice,  that. separated  us  from  the  shore.  The  night  was  far 
from  cold ;  but  the  ground  was  now  frozan  sufficiently  to 
prevent  any  unpleasant  consequences  from  walking  on  what 
would  otherwise  have  been  a  slimy,  muddy  alluvion ;  for 
the  island  was  so  very  low,  as  often  to  be  under  water,  when 
the  river  was  particularly  high.  This,  indeed,  formed  our 
danger,  after  we  had  reached  it. 

When  I  returned  to  Guert,  I  found  him  already  drifted 
down  some  little  distance;  and  this  time  we  moved  tha 


SATANSTOE.  243 

sleigh  so  much  above  the  point,  as  to  be  in  less  danger  of 
getting  out  of  sight  of  our  precious  wards.  To  my  surprise, 
Guert  was  busy  in  stripping  the  harness  from  the  horses, 
and  Jack  already  stood  only  in  his  blinkers.  Moses  was 
soon  reduced  to  the  same  state.  I  was  wondering  what  was 
to  be  done  next,  when  Guert  drew  each  bridle  from  its  ani 
mal,  and  gave  a  smart  crack  of  his  whip.  The  liberated 
horses  started  back  with  affright  —  snorted,  reared,  and, 
turning  away,  they  went  down  the  river,  free  as  air,  and 
almost  as  swift ;  the  incessant  and  loud  snapping  of  heir 
master's  whip,  in  no  degree  tending  to  diminish  their  speed. 
I  asked  the  meaning  of  this. 

"  It  would  be  cruel  not  to  let  the  poor  beasts  make  use  of 
the  strength  and  sagacity  nature  has  given  them  to  save 
their  lives,"  answered  Guert,  straining  his  eyes  after  Moses, 
the  horse  that  was  behind,  so  long  as  his  dark  form  could  be 
distinguished,  and  leaning  forward  to  listen  to  the  blows  of 
their  hoofs,  while  the  noises  around  us  permitted  them  to  be 
heard.  "  To  us,  they  would  only  be  an  encumbrance,  since 
they  never  could  be  forced  over  the  cracks  and  caked  ice  in 
harness ;  nor  would  it  be  at  all  safe  to  follow  them,  if  they 
could.  The  sleigh  is  light,  and  we  are  strong  enough  to 
shove  it  to  land,  when  there  is  an  opportunity ;  or,  it  may 
be  left  on  the  island." 

Nothing  could  have  served  more  effectually  to  convince 
me  of  the  manner  in  which  Guert  regarded  our  situation, 
than  to  see  him  turn  loose  beasts  which  I  knew  he  so  highly 
prized.  I  mentioned  this ;  and  he  answered  me  with  a 
melancholy  seriousness,  that  made  the  impression  so  much 
the  stronger — 

"  It  is  possible  they  may  get  ashore,  for  nature  has  given 
a  horse  a  keen  instinct.  They  can  swim,  too,  where  you 
and  I  would  drown.  At  all  events,  they  are  not  fettered 
with  harness,  but  have  every  chance  it  is  in  my  power  to 
give  them.  Should  they  land,  any  farmer  would  put  them 
in  his  stable,  and  I  should  soon  hear  where  they  were  to  be 
found  ;  if,  indeed,  I  am  living  in  the  morning  to  make  the 
inquiry." 

'  VVhat  is  next  to  be  done,  Guert?"  I  asked,  understand- 
ing  at  once  both  his  feelings  and  his  manner  of  reasoning. 

"We  must  now  run  the  sleigh  on  the  island ;  after  which 


244  SATANSTOE. 

it  will  be  time  to  look  about  us,  and  to  examine  if  it  be  pos 
sible  to  get  the  ladies  on  the  main  land." 

Accordingly,  Guert  and  I  applied  ourselves  to  the  task, 
and  had  no  great  difficulty  in  dragging  the  sleigh  over  the 
cakes,  grinding  and  in  motion  as  they  were.  We  pulled  it 
as  far  as  the  tree  beneath  which  Anneke  and  Mary  stood ; 
when  the  ladies  got  into  it  and  took  their  seats,  enveloped  in 
the  skins.  The  night  was  not  cold  for  the  season,  and  our 
companions  were  thickly  clad,  having  tippets  and  muffs , 
still,  the  wolves'  skins  of  Guert  contributed  to  render  them 
more  comfortable.  All  apprehension  of  immediate  danger 
now  ceased,  for  a  short  time ;  nor  do  I  think  either  of  the 
females  fancied  they  could  run  any  more  risk,  beyond  that 
of  exposure  to  the  night  air,  so  long  as  they  remained  on 
terra  Jirma.  Such  was  not  the  case,  however,  as  a  very 
simple  explanation  will  render  apparent  to  the  reader. 

All  the  islands  in  this  part  of  the  Hudson  are  low,  being 
rich,  alluvial  meadows,  bordered  by  trees  and  bushes;  most 
of  the  first  being  willows,  sycamores,  or  nuts.  The  fertility 
of  the  soil  had  given  to  these  trees  rapid  growths,  and  they 
were  generally  of  some  stature ;  though  not  one  among 
them  had  that  great  size  which  ought  to  mark  the  body  and 
branches  of  a  venerable  tenant  of  the  forest.  This  fact,  of 
itself,  proved  that  no  one  tree  of  them  all  was  very  old ;  a 
circumstance  that  was  certainly  owing  to  the  ravages  of  the 
annual  freshets.  I  say  annual ;  for  though  the  freshet  which 
now  encompassed  us,  was  far  more  serious  than  usual,  each 
year  brought  something  of  the  sort;  and  the  islands  were 
constantly  increasing  or  diminishing  under  their  action.  To 
prevent  the  last,  a  thicket  of  trees  was  left  at  the  head  of 
each  island,  to  form  a  sort  of  barricade  against  the  inroads 
of  the  ice  in  the  spring.  So  low  was  the  face  of  the  land, 
or  meadow,  however,  that  a  rise  of  a  very  few  feet  in  the 
river  would  be  certain  to  bring  it  entirely  under  water.  All 
this  will  be  made  more  apparent  by  our  own  proceedings, 
after  we  had  placed  the  ladies  in  the  sleigh  ;  and  more  espe 
cially,  by  the  passing  remarks  of  Guert  while  employed  in 
his  subsequent  efforts. 

No  sooner  did  Guert  Ten  Eyck  believe  the  ladies  to  be 
temporarily  safe,  than  he  proposed  to  me  that  we  should  take 
a  closer  look  at  the  state  of  the  river,  in  order  to  ascertain 


SATANSTOE.  245 

the  most  feasible  means  of  getting  on  the  main  land.  This 
was  said  aloud,  and  in  a  cheerful  way,  as  if  he  no  longer 
felt  any  apprehension,  and,  evidently  to  me,  to  encourage 
our  companions.  Anneke  desired  us  to  go,  declaring  that 
now  she  knew  herself  to  be  on  dry  land,  all  her  own  fears 
had  vanished.  We  went  accordingly,  taking  'our  first  di 
rection  towards  the  head  of  the  island. 

A  very  few  minutes  sufficed  to  reach  the  limits  of  our 
narrow  domain  ;  and,  as  we  approached  them,  Guert  pointed 
out  to  me  the  mound  of  ice  that  was  piling  up  behind  it, 
as  a  most  fearful  symptom. 

"  There  is  our  danger,"  he  said,  with  emphasis,  "  and  we 
must  not  trust  to  these  trees.  This  freshet  goes  beyond 
any  I  ever  saw  on  the  river ;  and  not  a  spring  passes  that 
we  have  not  more  or  less  of  them.  Do  you  not  see,  Corny, 
what  saves  us  now  ?" 

"  We  are  on  an  island,  and  cannot  be  in  much  danger 
from  the  river  while  we  stay  here." 

"  Not  so,  my  dear  friend,  not  at  all  so.  But,  come  with 
me  and  look  for  yourself." 

I  followed  Guert,  and  did  look  for  myself.  We  sprang 
upon  the  cakes  of  ice,  which  were  piled  quite  thirty  feet  in 
height,  on  the  head  of  the  island,  extending  right  and  left, 
as  far  as  our  eyes  could  see,  by  that  misty  light.  It  was  by 
no  means  difficult  moving  about  on  this  massive  pile,  the 
movement  in  the  cakes  being  slow,  and  frequently  inter 
rupted ;  but  there  was  no  concealing  the  true  character  of 
the  danger.  Had  not  the  island,  and  the  adjacent  main  in 
terposed  their  obstacles,  the  ice  would  have  continued  to  move 
bodily  down  the  stream,  cake  shoving  over  cake,  until  the 
whole  found  vent  in  the  wider  space  below,  and  floated  off 
towards  the  ocean.  Not  only  was  our  island  there,  how 
ever,  but  other  islands  lay  near  us,  straitening  the  different 
channels  or  passages  in  such  a  way,  as  to  compel  the  forma« 
tion  of  an  icy  dam;  and,  on  the  strength  of  this  dam  rested 
all  our  security.  Were  it  to  be  ruptured  anywhere  near  us, 
we  should  inevitably  be  swept  off  in  a  body.  Guert  thought, 
however,  as  has  been  said  already,  that  the  waters  had 
found  narrow  issues  under  the  main  land,  both  east  and 
west  of  us ;  and  should  this  prove  to  be  true,  there  was  a 
hope  that  the  great  calamity  might  be  averted.  In  other 
21  * 


246  8ATANSTOE. 

words,  if  these  floodgates  sufficed,  we  might  escape ;  other 
wise  the  catastrophe  was  certain. 

"  I  cannot  excuse  it  to  myself  to  remain  here,  without 
endeavouring  to  see  what  is  the  state  of  things  nearer  to  the 
shore,"  said  Guert,  after  we  had  viewed  the  fast  accumulat 
ing  mass  of  broken  ice  above  us,  as  well  as  the  light  per 
mitted,  and  we  had  talked  over  together  the  chances  of 
safety,  and  the  character  of  the  danger.  "  Do  you  return 
to  the  ladies.  Corny,  and  endeavour  to  keep  up  their  spirits, 
while  I  cross  this  channel  on  our  right,  to  the  next  island, 
and  see  what  offers  in  that  direction." 

"  I  do  not  like  the  idea  of  your  running  alt  the  risk  alone  ; 
besides,  something  may  occur  to  require  the  strength  of  two, 
instead  of  that  of  one,  to  overcome  it." 

"  You  can  go  with  me  as  far  as  the  next  island,  if  you 
will,  where  we  shall  be  able  to  ascertain  at  once  whether  it 
be  ice  or  water  that  separates  us  from  the  eastern  shore.  If 
the  first,  you  can  return  as  fast  as  possible  for  the  ladies, 
while  I  look  for  a  place  to  cross.  I  do  not  like  the  appear 
ance  of  this  dam,  to  be  honest  with  you ;  and  have  great 
fears  for  those  who  are  now  in  the  sleigh." 

We  were  in  the  very  act  of  moving  away,  when  a  loud, 
cracking  noise,  that  arose  within  a  few  yards,  alarmed 
us  both  ;  and  running  to  the  spot  whence  it  proceeded,  we 
saw  that  a  large  willow  had  snapped  in  two,  like  a  pipe-stem, 
and  that  the  whole  barrier  of  ice  was  marching,  slowly,  but 
grandly,  over  the  stump,  crushing  the  fallen  trunk  and 
branches  beneath  its  weight,  as  the  slow-moving  wheel  of 
the  loaded  cart  crushes  the  twig.  Guert  grasped  my  arm, 
and  his  fingers  nearly  entered  the  flesh,  under  his  iron 
pressure. 

"  We  must  quit  this  spot — "  he  said  firmly,  "  and  at  once. 
Let  us  go  back  to  the  sleigh." 

I  did  not  know  Guert's  intentions,  but  I  saw  it  was  time 
to  act  with  decision.  We  moved  swiftly  down  to  the  spot 
where  we  had  left  the  sleigh  ;  and  the  reader  will  judge  of 
our  horror,  when  we  found  it  gone  !  The  whole  of  the  low 
point  of  the  island  where  we  had  left  it,  was  already  covered 
with  cakes  of  ice  that  were  in  motion,  and  which  had  doubt 
less  swept  off  the  sleigh  during  the  few  minutes  that  we  had 
been  absent !  Looking  around  us,  however,  we  saw  an 


SATANSTOE.  247 

object  on  the  river,  a  little  distance  below,  that  I  fancied  was 
the  sleigh,  and  was  about  to  rush  after  it,  when  a  voice, 
filled  with  alarm,  took  us  in  another  direction.  Mary  Wal 
lace  came  out  from  behind  a  tree,  to  which  she  had  fled  for 
safety,  and  seizing  Guert's  arm,  implored  him  not  to  quit 
her  again. 

"  Whither  has  Anneke  gone?"  I  demanded,  in  an  agony 
I  cannot  describe — "  I  see  nothing  of  Anneke  !" 

"  She  would  not  quit  the  sleigh,"  answered  Mary  Wallace, 
almost  panting  for  breath — "  I  implored — entreated  her  to 
follow  me — said  you  must  soon  return;  but  she  refused  to 
quit  the  sleigh.  Anneke  is  in  the  sleigh,  if  that  can  now 
be  found." 

I  heard  no  more ;  but  springing  on  the  still  moving  cakes 
of  ice,  went  leaping  from  cake  to  cake,  until  my  sight  showed 
me  that,  sure  enough,  the  sleigh  was  on  the  bed  of  the  river, 
over  which  it  was  in  slow  motion  ;  forced  downwards  before 
the  new  coating  of  ice  that  was  fast  covering  the  original 
surface.  At  first  I  could  see  no  one  in  the  sleigh  ;  but,  on* 
reaching  it,  I  found  Anneke  buried  in  the  skins.  She  was 
on  her  knees :  the  precious  creature  was  asking  succour 
from  God ! 

I  had  a  wild  but  sweet  consolation  in  thus  finding  myself, 
as  it  might  be,  cut  off  from  all  the  rest  of  my  kind,  in  the 
midst  of  that  scene  of  gloom  and  desolation,  alone  with 
Anneke  Mordaunt.  The  moment  I  could  make  her  con 
scious  of  my  presence,  she  inquired  after  Mary  Wallace, 
and  was  much  relieved  on  learning  that  she  was  with  Guert, 
and  would  not  be  left  by  him,  for  a  single  instant,  again  that 
night.  Indeed,  I  saw  their  figures  dimly,  as  they  moved 
swiftly  across  the  channel  that  divided  the  two  islands,  and 
disappear  in  that  direction,  among  the  bushes  that  lined  the 
place  to  which  they  had  gone. 

"  Let  us  follow,"  I  said  eagerly.  "The  crossing  is  yet 
easy,  and  we,  too,  may  escape  to  the  shore." 

"  Go  you  !"  said  Anneke,  over  whom  a  momentary  phy 
sical  torpor  appeared  to  have  passed.  "  Go  you,  Corny," 
she  said ;  "  a  man  may  easily  save  himself;  and  you  aro 
an  only  child — the  sole  hope  of  your  parents." 

"  Dearest,  beloved  Anneke ! — why  this  indifference — this 


248  SATAflSTOE. 

apathy  on  your  own  behalf?     Are  you  not  an  only  child, 
the  sole  hope  of  a  widowed  father  ? — do  you  forget  him  ?" 

"  No,  no,  no  I"  exclaimed  the  dear  girl,  hurriedly.  "  Help 
me  out  of  the  sleigh,  Corny :  there,  I  will  go  with  you  any 
where — any  how — to  the  end  of  the  world,  to  save  my 
father  from  such  anguish  !" 

From  that  moment  the  temporary  imbecility  of  Anneke 
vanished,  and  I  found  her,  for  the  remainder  of  the  time  we 
remained  in  jeopardy,  quick  to  apprehend,  and  ready  to- 
second  all  my  efforts.  It  was  this  passing  submission  to  an 
imaginary  doom,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  headlong  effect 
of  sudden  fright  on  the  other,  which  had  separated  the  two 
girls,  and  which  had  been  the  means  of  dividing  the  whole 
party  as  described. 

I  scarcely  know  how  to  describe  what  followed.  So  in 
tense  was  my  apprehension  on  behalf  of  Anneke,  that  I  can 
safely  say,  I  did  not  think  of  my  own  fate,  in  the  slightest 
Degree,  as  disconnected  from  hers.  The  self-devoted  reliance 
with  which  the  dear  girl  seemed  to  place  all  her  dependence 
on  me,  would,  of  itself,  have  produced  this  effect,  had  she 
not  possessed  my  whole  heart,  as  I  was  now  so  fully  aware. 
Moments  like  those,  make  one  alive  to  all  the  affections,  and 
strip  off  every  covering  that  habit  or  the  dissembling  of  our 
manners  is  so  apt  to  throw  over  the  feelings.  I  believe  I 
both  spoke  and  acted  towards  Anneke,  as  one  would  cling 
lo,  or  address  the  being  dearest  to  him  in  the  world,  for  the 
next  few  minutes ;  but,  I  can  suppose  the  reader  will  natu 
rally  prefer  learning  what  we  did,  under  such  circumstances, 
rather  than  what  we  said,  or  how  we  felt. 

I  repeat,  it  is  not  easy  for  me  lo  describe  what  followed. 
I  know  we  first  rather  ran,  than  walked,  across  the  channel 
on  which  I  had  last  seen  the  dim  forms  of  Guert  and  Mary, 
and  even  crossed  the  island  to  its  eastern  side,  in  the  hope 
of  being  able  to  reach  the  shore  in  that  quarter.  The  at- 
tempt  was  useless,  for  we  found  the  water  running  down 
over  the  ice  like  a  race-way.  Nothing  could  be  seen  of  our 
late  companions ;  and  my  loud  and  repeated  calls  to  them 
were  unanswered. 

"  Our  case  is  hopeless,  Cornelius,"  said  Anneke;  speaking 
with  a  forced  calmness  when  she  found  retreat  impossible  ic 


SATANSTOB.  249 

that  direction,  "  Let  us  return  to  the  sleigh,  and  submit  to 
the  will  of  God  !" 

"Beloved  Anneke ! — Think  of  your  father,  and  summon 
your  whole  strength.  The  bed  of  the  river  is  yet  firm  ;  we 
will  cross  it,  and  try  the  opposite  shore." 

Cross  it  we  did,  my  delicate  companion  being  as  much 
sustained  by  my  supporting  arm,  as  by  her  own  resolution , 
but  we  found  the  same  obstacle  to  retreat  interposing  there 
also.  The  island  above  had  turned  the  waters  aside,  until 
they  found  an  outlet  under  each  bank — shooting  along  their 
willowy  shores,  with  the  velocity  of  arrows.  By  this  time, 
owing  to  our  hurried  movement,  I  found  Anneke  so  far  ex 
hausted,  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  pause  a  minute 
to  take  breath.  This  pause  was  also  necessary,  in  order  to 
look  about  us,  and  to  decide  understandingly  as  to  the 
course  it  was  necessary  now  to  pursue.  This  pause,  brief 
as  it  was,  moreover,  contributed  largely  to  the  apparent 
horrors  of  our  situation. 

The  grating,  or  grinding  of  the  ice  above  us,  cake  upon 
cake,  now  sounded  like  the  rushing  of  heavy  winds,  or  the 
incessant  roaring  of  a  surf  upon  the  sea-shore.  The  piles 
were  becoming  visible,  by  their  height  and  their  proximity, 
as  the  ragged  barriers  set  slowly  but  steadily  down  upon  us  ; 
and  the  whole  river  seemed  to  me  to  be  in  motion  downwards. 
At  this  awful  instant,  when  I  began  to  think  it  was  the  will 
of  Providence  that  Anneke  and  I  were  to  perish  together,  a 
strange  sound  interrupted  the  fearful  natural  accessories  of 
that  frightful  scene.  I  certainly  heard  the  bells  of  a  sleigh; 
at  first  they  seemed  distant  and  broken — then,  nearer  and 
incessant,  attended  by  the  rumbling  of  runners  on  the  ice. 
I  took  off  my  cap  and  pressed  my  head,  for  I  feared  my 
brain  was  unsettled.  There  it  came,  however,  more  and 
more  distinctly,  until  the  trampling  of  horses'  hoofs  mingled 
in  the  noise. 

"  Can  there  be  others  as  unhappy  as  ourselves  !"  exclaimed 
Anneke,  forgetting  her  own  fears  in  generous  sympathy. 
"See,  Littlepage!  —  see,  dear  Cornelius — yonder  surely 
comes  another  sleigh  !" 

Come  it  did,  like  the  tempest,  or  the  whirlwind  ;  passing 
within  fifty  feet  of  us.  I  knew  it  at  a  glance.  It  was  the 
sleigh  of  Herman  Mordaunt,  empty ;  with  the  horses,  mad- 


250  SATANSTOE. 

dened  by  terror,  running  wherever  their  fears  impelled.  As 
the  sleigh  passed,  it  was  thrown  on  one  side ;  then  it  was 
once  more  whirled  up  again ;  and  it  went  out  of  sight,  with 
the  rumbling  sound  of  the  runners  mingling  with  the  jingling 
of  bells  and  the  tramp  of  hoofs. 

At  this  instant  a  loud,  distant  cry  from  a  human  voice, 
was  certainly  heard.  It  seemed,  to  me,  as  if  some  one 
called  my  name;  and  Anneke  said,  she  so  understood  it. 
too.  The  call,  if  call  it  was,  came  from  the  south,  and 
from  under  the  western  shore.  At  the  next  moment,  awful 
reports  proceeded  from  the  barrier  above ;  and,  passing  an 
arm  around  the  slender  waist  of  my  lovely  companion,  to 
support  her,  I  began  a  rapid  movement  in  the  direction  of 
that  call.  While  attempting  to  reach  the  western  shore,  I 
had  observed  a  high  mound  of  broken  ice,  that  was  floating 
down  ;  or  rather,  was  pressed  down  on  the  smooth  surface 
of  the  frozen  river,  in  advance  of  the  smaller  cakes  that 
came  by  in  the  current.  It  was  increasing,  in  size,  by  ac 
cessions  from  these  floating  cakes,  and  threatened  to  form  a 
new  dam,  at  some  narrow  pass  below,  as  soon  as  of  sufficient 
size.  It  occurred  to  me  we  should  be  temporarily  safe, 
could  we  reach  that  mound,  for  it  rose  so  high  as  to  be  above 
danger  from  the  water.  Thither,  then,  I  ran,  almost  car 
rying  Anneke  on  my  arm ;  our  speed  increased  by  the  ter 
rific  sounds  from  the  dam  above  us. 

We  reached  the  mound,  and  found  the  cakes  so  piled,  as 
to  be  able  to  ascend  them ;  though  not  without  an  effort. 
After  getting  up  a  layer  or  two,  the  broken  mass  became  so 
irregular  and  ragged,  as  to  render  it  necessary  for  me  to 
mount  first,  and  then  to  drag  Anneke  up  after  me.  This  I 
did,  until  exhausted ;  and  we  both  seated  ourselves  on  the 
edge  of  a  cake,  in  order  to  recover  our  breath.  While 
there,  it  struck  me,  that  new  sounds  arose  from  the  river; 
and,  bending  forward  to  examine,  I  saw  that  the  water  had 
forced  its  way  through  the  dam  above  and  was  coming 
down  upon  us  in  a  torrent. 


SATANSTOB.  251 


CHAPTER  XYIL 

My  heart  leaps  up  when  I  behold 

A  rainbow  in  the  sky: 
So  was  it  when  my  life  began; 
So  is  it  now  I  am  a  man; 
So  be  it  when  I  shall  grow  old. 
Or  let  me  die  J 

The  child  is  father  of  the  man ; 
And  I  could  wish  my  days  to  be 
Bound  each  to  each  by  natural  piety. 

WORDSWORTH. 

FIVE  minutes  longer  on  the  ice  of  the  main  channel,  and 
we  should  have  been  swept  away.  Even  as  we  still  sat 
looking  at  the  frightful  force  of  the  swift  current,  as  well  as 
the  dim  light  of  that  clouded  night  would  permit,  I  saw  Guert 
Ten  Eyck's  sleigh  whirl  past  us ;  and,  only  a  minute  later, 
Herman  Mordaunt's  followed  ;  the  poor,  exhausted  beasts 
struggling  in  the  harness  for  freedom,  that  they  might  swim 
for  their  lives.  Anneke  heard  the  snorting  of  those  wretched 
horses;  but  her  unpractised  eyes  did  not  detect  them,  im 
mersed,  as  they  were,  in  the  current ;  nor  had  she  recog 
nised  the  sleigh  that  whirled  past  us,  as  her  father's.  A 
little  later,  a  fearful  shriek  came  from  one  of  the  fettered 
beasts ;  such  a  heart-piercing  cry  as  it  is  known  the  horse 
often  gives.  I  said  nothing  on  the  subject,  knowing  that 
love  for  her  father  was  one  of  the  great  incentives  which  had 
aroused  my  companion  to  exertion  ;  and  being  unwilling  to 
excite  fears  that  were  now  latent. 

Two  or  three  minutes  of  rest  were  all  that  circumstances 
peimitted.  I  could  see  that  everything  visible  on  the  river, 
was  in  motion  downwards ;  the  piles  of  ice  on  which  we 
were  placed,  as  well  as  the  cakes  that  glanced  by  us,  in 
their  quicker  descent.  Our  own  motion  was  slow,  on  ac 
count  of  the  mass  which  doubtless  pressed  on  the  shoals  of 
the  west  side  of  the  river;  as  well  as  on  account  of  the  fric 
tion  against  the  lateral  fields  of  ice,  and  occasionally  against 
the  shore.  Still,  we  were  in  motion  ;  and  I  felt  the  neces 
sity,  on  every  account,  of  getting  as  soon  as  possible  on  the 


252  SATANSTOJ&. 

western  verge  of  our  floating  island,  in  order  to  profit  by 
favourable  occurrence  that  might  offer. 

Dear  Anneke !  —  How  admirably  did  she  behave  that 
fearful  night !  From  the  moment  she  regained  her  entire 
consciousness,  after  I  found  her  praying  in  the  bottom  of  the 
sleigh,  down  to  that  instant,  she  had  been  as  little  of  an  en 
cumbrance  to  my  own  efforts,  as  was  at  all  possible.  Rea 
sonable,  resolute,  compliant,  and  totally  without  any  ill-timed 
exhibition  of  womanly  apprehension,  she  had  done  all  she 
was  desired  to  do  unhesitatingly,  and  with  intelligence, 
In  ascending  that  pile  of  ice,  by  no  means  an  easy  task 
under  any  circumstances,  we  had  acted  in  perfect  concert , 
every  effort  of  mine  being  aided  by  one  of  her  own,  directed 
by  my  advice  and  greater  experience. 

"  God  has  not  deserted  us,  clearest  Anneke,"  I  said,  now 
that  my  companion's  strength  appeared  to  have  returned, 
"  and  we  may  yet  hope  to  escape.  I  can  anticipate  the  joy 
we  shall  bring  to  your  father's  heart,  when  he  again  takes 
you  to  his  arms,  safe  and  uninjured." 

"  Dear,  dear  father  ! — What  agony  he  must  now  be  suf 
fering  on  my  account. — Come,  Corny,  let  us  go  to  him  at 
once,  if  it  be  possible." 

As  this  was  said,  the  precious  girl  arose,  and  adjusted  her 
tippet  in  a  way  that  should  cause  her  no  encumbrance;  like 
one  ready  to  set  about  the  execution  of  a  serious  task  with 
all  her  energies.  The  muff  had  been  dropped  on  the  river  j 
for  neither  of  us  had  any  sensibility  to  cold.  The  night, 
however,  was  quite  mild,  for  the  season  ;  and  we  probably 
should  not  have  suffered,  had  our  exertions  been  less  violent. 
Anneke  declared  herself  ready  to  proceed,  and  I  commenced 
the  difficult  and  delicate  task  of  aiding  her  across  an  island 
composed  of  icy  fragments,  in  order  to  reach  its  western 
margin.  We  were  quite  thirty  feet  in  the  air ;  and  a  fall 
into  any  of  the  numerous  caverns,  among  which  we  had  to 
proceed,  might  have  been  fatal ;  certainly  would  have  crip 
pled  the  sufferer.  Then  the  surface  of  the  ice  was  so  smooth 
as  to  render  walking  on  it  an  exceedingly  delicate  operation  ; 
more  especially  as  the  cakes  lay  at  all  manner  of  inclina 
tions  to  the  plane  of  the  horizon.  Fortunately,  I  wore  buck 
skin  moccasins  over  my  boots;  and  their  rough  leather 
aided  me  greatly  in  maintaining  my  footing.  Anneke,  too, 


SATANSTOE.  253 

had  socks  of  cloth  ;  without  which,  I  do  not  think,  she  could 
have  possibly  moved.  By  these  aids,  however,  and  by  pro 
ceeding  with  the  utmost  caution,  we  had  actually  succeeded 
in  attaining  our  object,  when  the  floating  mass  shot  into  an 
eddy,  and,  turning  slowly  round,  under  this  new  influence, 
placed  us  on  the  outer  side  of  the  island  again  !  Not  a 
murmur  escaped  Anneke,  at  this  disappointment;  but,  with 
a  sweetness  of  temper  that  spoke  volumes  in  favour  of  her 
natural  disposition,  and  a  resignation  that  told  her  training, 
she  professed  a  readiness  to  renew  her  efforts.  To  this  I 
would  not  consent,  however ;  for  I  saw  that  the  eddy  was 
still  whirling  us  about ;  and  I  thought  it  best  to  escape  from 
its  influence  altogether,  before  we  threw  away  our  strength 
fruitlessly.  Instead  of  re-crossing  the  pile,  therefore,  I  told 
my  fair  companion  that  we  would  descend  to  a  cake  that 
lay  level  on  the  water,  and  which  projected  from  the 
mass  to  such  a  distance,  as  to  be  close  to  the  shore,  should  we 
again  get  near  it.  This  descent  was  made,  after  some 
trouble,  though  I  was  compelled  to  receive  Anneke  entirely 
into  my  arms,  in  order  to  effect  it.  Effect  it  I  did  ;  placing 
the  sweet  girl  safely  at  my  side,  on  the  outermost  and  lowest 
of  all  the  cakes  in  our  confused  pile. 

In  some  respects  this  change  was  for  the  better ;  while 
it  did  not  improve  our  situation  in  others.  It  placed  both 
Anneke  and  myself  behind  a  shelter,  as  respected  the  wind  ; 
which,  though  neither  very  strong  nor  very  cold,  had 
enough  of  March  about  it  to  render  the  change  acceptable. 
It  took  my  companion,  too,  from  a  position  where  motion 
was  difficult,  and  often  dangerous;  leaving  her  on  a  level, 
even  spot,  where  she  could  walk  with  ease  and  security,  and 
keep  the  blood  in  motion  by  exercise.  Then  it  put  us  both 
in  the  best  possible  situation  to  profit  by  any  contact  with 
that  shore,  along  and  near  which  our  island  was  now  slowly 
moving. 

There  could  no  longer  be  any  doubt  of  the  state  of  the 
river  in  general.  It  had  broken  up ;  spring  had  come,  like 
a  thief  in  the  night;  and  the  ice  below  having  given  way, 
while  the  mass  above  had  acquired  too  much  power  to  be 
resisted,  everything  was  set  in  motion  ;  and,  like  the  death 
of  the  strong  man,  the  disruption  of  fields  in  themselves  so 
thick  and  adhesive,  had  produced  an  agony  surpassing  the 
22 


S54  SATANSTOE. 

usual  struggle  of  the  seasons.  Nevertheless,  the  downward 
motion  had  begun  in  earnest,  and  the  centre  of  the  river 
was  running  like  a  sluice,  carrying  away,  in  its  current, 
those  masses  which  had  just  before  formed  so  menacing  an 
obstacle  above. 

Luckily,  our  own  pile  was  a  little  aside  from  the  great 
downward  rush.  I  have  since  thought,  that  it  touched  the 
bottom,  which  caused  it  to  turn,  as  well  as  retarded  its 
movement.  Be  this  as  it  might,  we  still  remained  in  a  little 
bay,  slowly  turning  in  a  circle ;  and  glad  was  I  to  see  our 
low  cake  coming  round  again,  in  sight  of  the  western  shore. 
The  moment  now  demanded  decision ;  and  I  prepared  An- 
neke  to  meet  it.  A  large,  low,  level  cake  had  driven  up  on 
the  shore,  and  extended  out  so  far  as  to  promise  that  our 
own  cake  would  touch  it,  in  our  evolutions.  I  knew  that 
the  ice,  in  general,  had  not  broken  in  consequence  of  any 
weakness  of  its  own,  but  purely  under  the  weight  of  the  enor 
mous  pressure  from  above,  and  the  mighty  force  of  the  cur 
rent;  and  that  we  ran  little,  or  no  risk,  in  trusting  our  per 
sons  on  the  uttermost  limits  of  any  considerable  fragment. 
A  station  was  taken,  accordingly,  near  a  projection  of  the 
cake  we  were  on ;  when  we  waited  for  the  expected  contact. 
At  such  moments,  the  slightest  disappointment  carries  with 
it  the  force  of  the  greatest  circumstances.  Several  times 
did  it  appear,  to  us,  that  our  island  was  on  the  point  of 
touching  the  fastened  cake,  and  as  often  did  it  incline  aside ; 
at  no  time  coming  nearer  than  within  six  or  eight  feet.  This 
distance  it  would  have  been  easy  enough,  for  me  to  leap 
across »  but,  to  Anneke,  it  was  a  barrier  as  impassable  as 
the  illimitable  void.  The  sweet  girl  saw  this ;  and,  she 
acted  like  herself,  under  the  circumstances.  She  took  my 
hand,  pressed  it,  and  said  earnestly,  and  with  patient  sweet 
ness — 

"  You  see  how  it  is,  Corny  ;  I  am  not  permitted  to  escape; 
but  you  can  easily  reach  the  shore.  Go,  then,  and  leave 
me  in  the  hands  of  Providence.  Go ;  I  never  can  forget 
what  you  have  already  done ;  but  it  is  useless  to  perish  to 
gether  !" 

I  have  never  doubted  that  Anneke  was  perfectly  sincere 
in  her  wish  that  I  should,  at  least,  save  my  own  life.  The 
feeling  with  which  she  spoke ;  the  despair  that  was  coming 


SATANSTOE 


255 


over  her  ;  and  the  movement  of  our  island,  which,  at  that 
moment,  gave  signs  of  shooting  away  from  the  shore,  alto* 
gether,  roused  me  to  a  sudden,  and  certainly,  to  a  very  bold 
attempt.  I  tremble,  even  at  this  distance  of  time,  as  I  write 
the  particulars.  A  small  cake  of  ice  was  floating  in  between 
us  and  that  which  lay  firmly  fastened  to  the  shore.  Its 
size  was  such  as  to  allow  it  to  pass  between  the  two ;  though 
not  without  coming  nearly,  if  not  absolutely,  in  contact  with 
one,  if  not  with  both.  I  observed  all  this  ;  and,  saying  one 
word  of  encouragement  to  Anneke,  I  passed  an  arm  around 
her  waist — waited  the  proper  moment — and  sprang  forward. 
It  was  necessary  to  make  a  short  leap,  with  my  precious 
burthen  on  my  arm,  in  order  to  gain  this  floating  bridge ; 
but  it  was  done,  and  successfully.  Scarcely  permitting  An- 
neke's  foot  to  touch  this  frail  support,  which  was  already 
sinking  under  our  joint  weight,  I  crossed  it  at  two  or  three 
steps,  and  threw  all  my  power  into  a  last  and  desperate 
effort.  I  succeeded  here,  also;  and  fell,  upon  the  firmer 
cake,  with  a  heart  filled  with  gratitude  to  God.  The  touch 
told  me  that  we  were  safe ;  and,  in  the  next  instant,  we 
reached  the  solid  ground.  Under  such  circumstances,  one 
usually  looks  back  to  examine  the  danger  he  has  just  gone 
through.  I  did  so ;  and  saw  that  the  floating  cake  of  ice 
had  already  passed  down,  and  was  out  of  reach ;  while  the 
mass  that  had  been  the  means  of  saving  us,  was  slowly  fol 
lowing,  under  some  new  impulse,  received  from  the  furious 
currents  of  the  river.  But  we  were  saved ;  and  most  de 
voutly  did  I  thank  my  God,  who  had  mercifully  aided  our 
escape  from  perils  so  imminent. 

I  was  compelled  to  wait  for  Anneke,  who  fell  upon  her 
knees,  and  remained  there  quite  a  minute,  before  I  could  aid 
her  in  ascending  the  steep  acclivity  which  formed  the  west 
ern  bank  of  the  Hudson,  at  this  particular  point.  We 
reached  the  top,  however,  after  a  little  delay,  and  pausing 
once  or  twice  to  take  breath ;  when  we  first  became  really 
sensible  of  the  true  character  of  the  scene  from  which  we 
had  been  delivered.  Dim  as  was  the  light,  there  was  enough 
to  enable  us  to  overlook  a  considerable  reach  of  the  river, 
from  that  elevated  stand.  The  Hudson  resembled  chaos 
rushing  headlong  between  the  banks.  As  for  the  cakes  of 
ice — some  darting  past  singly,  and  others  piled  as  high  aa 


256  SATANSTOE. 

houses — of  course,  the  stream  was  filled  with  such ;  but,  a 
large,  dark  object  was  seen  coming  through  that  very  chan 
nel,  over  which  Anneke  and  I  had  stood,  less  than  an 
hour  before,  sailing  down  the  current  with  fearful  rapidity. 
It  was  a  house  ;  of  no  great  size,  it  is  true,  but  large  enough 
to  present  a  singular  object  on  the  river.  A  bridge,  of  some 
size,  followed ;  and  a  sloop,  that  had  been  borne  away  from 
the  wharves  of  Albany,  soon  appeared  in  the  strange  assem 
blage,  that  was  thus  suddenly  collected  on  this  great  artery 
of  the  colony. 

But  the  hour  was  late;  Anneke  was  yet  to  care  for;  it 
was  necessary  to  seek  a  shelter.  Still  supporting  my  lovely 
companion,  who  now  began  to  express  her  uneasiness  on 
account  of  her  father,  and  her  other  friends,  I  held  the  way 
inland ;  knowing  that  there  was  a  high  road  parallel  to  the 
river,  and  at  no  great  distance  from  it.  We  reached  the 
highway,  in  the  course  often  minutes,  and  turned  our  faces 
northward,  as  the  direction  which  led  towards  Albany.  We 
had  not  advanced  far  before  I  heard  the  voices  of  men,  who 
were  coming  towards  us  ;  and  glad  was  I  to  recognise  that 
of  Dirck  Pollock  among  the  number.  I  called  aloud,  and 
was  answered  by  a  shout  of  exultation,  which,  as  I  after 
wards  discovered,  spontaneously  broke  out  of  his  mouth, 
when  he  recognised  the  form  of  Anneke.  Dirck  was  power 
fully  agitated  when  we  joined  him  ;  I  had  never,  previously, 
seen  anything  like  such  a  burst  of  feeling  from  him;  and  it 
was  some  time  before  I  could  address  him. 

"  Of  course,  your  whole  party  is  safe  ?"  I  asked,  a  little 
doubtingly;  for  I  had  actually  given  up  all  who  had  been  in 
Herman  Mordaunt's  sleigh  for  lost. 

"  Yes,  thank  God !  all  but  the  sleigh  and  horses.  But 
where  are  Guert  Ten  Eyck  and  Miss  Wallace  ?" 

"  Gone  ashore  on  the  other  side  of  the  river ;  we  parted, 
and  they  took  that  direction,  while  we  came  hither."  I  said 
this  to  quiet  Anneke's  fears ;  but  I  had  misgivings  about 
their  having  got  off  the  river  at  all.  "  But  let  me  know  the 
manner  of  your  own  escape." 

Dirck  then  gave  us  a  history  of  what  had  passed  ;  the  whole 
party  turning  back  to  accompany  us,  as  soon  as  I  told  them 
.hat  their  errand — a  search  for  the  horses — was  useless. 
The  substance  of  what  we  heard  was  as  follows  r — In  (he 


SATANSTOE.  257 

first  effort  to  reach  the  western  shore,  Herman  Mordaunt 
had  been  met  by  the  very  obstacle  which  Guert  had  foreseen, 
and  he  turned  south,  hoping  to  find  some  spot  at  which  to 
land,  by  going  farther  from  the  dam  that  had  formed  above. 
After  repeated  efforts,  and  having  nearly  lost  his  sleigh  and 
the  whole  party,  a  point  was  reached  at  which  Herman 
Mordaunt  determined  to  get  his  female  companion  on  shore, 
at  every  hazard.  This  was  to  be  done  only  by  crossing 
floating  cakes  of  ice,  in  a  current  that  was  already  running 
at  the  rate  of  four  or  five  miles  in  the  hour.  Dirck  was  left 
in  charge  of  the  horses  while  the  experiment  was  made ;  but 
seeing  the  adventurers  in  great  danger,  he  flew  to  their  as 
sistance — when  the  whole  party  were  immersed,  though  not 
in  deep  water.  Left  to  themselves,  and  alarmed  with  the 
floundering  in  the  river  and  the  grinding  of  the  cakes,  Her 
man  Mordaunt's  bays  went  off  in  the  confusion.  Mrs. 
Bogart  was  assisted  to  the  land,  and  was  helped  to  reach 
the  nearest  dwelling  —  a  comfortable  farm-house,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  beyond  the  point  where  we  had  met  the 
party.  There  Mrs.  Bogart  had  been  placed  in  a  warm  bed, 
and  the  gentlemen  were  supplied  with  such  dry  clothes  as 
the  rustic  wardrobe  of  these  simple  people  could  furnish. 
The  change  made,  Dirck  was  on  his  way  to  ascertain  what 
had  become  of  the  sleigh  and  horses,  as  has  been  mentioned. 

On  inquiry,  I  found  that  the  spot  where  Anneke  and 
myself  had  landed  was  quite  three  miles  below  the  island  on 
which  Guert  and  I  had  drawn  the  sleigh.  Nearly  the  whole 
of  this  distance  had  we  floated  with  the  pile  of  broken  ice,  in 
the  short  time  we  were  on  it ;  a  proof  of  the  furious  rate  at 
which  the  current  was  setting  downward.  No  one  had 
heard  anything  of  Guert  and  Mary  ;  but  I  encouraged  my 
companion  to  believe  that  they  were  necessarily  safe  on  the 
other  shore.  I  certainly  deemed  this  to  be  very  questionable, 
but  there  was  no  use  in  anticipating  evil. 

On  reaching  the  farm-house,  Herman  Mordaunt's  delight 
and  gratitude  may  more  easily  be  imagined  than  described. 
He  folded  Annoke  to  his  heart,  and  she  wept  like  an  infant 
on  his  bosom.  Nor  was  I  forgotten  in  this  touching  scene, 
but  came  in  for  a  full  share  of  notice. 

"  I  want  no  details,  noble  young  man — ?'  I  am  professing 
to  write  the  truth,  and  must  be  excused  for  relating  such 
22* 


258  SATANSTOE. 

things  as  these,  but  —  "I  want  no  details,  noble  young 
man,"  said  Herman  Mordaunt,  squeezing  my  hand,  "  to  feel 
certain  that,  under  God,  I  owe  my  child's  lile,  for  the  second 
time,  to  you.  I  wish  to  Heaven  ! — but,  no  matter — it  is  now 
too  late — some  other  way  may  and  must  offer.  I  scarce 
know  what  I  say,  Littlepage;  but  what  I  mean  is,  to  express 
faintly,  some  small  portion  of  the  gratitude  I  feel,  and  to  lef; 
you  know  how  sensibly  and  deeply  your  services  are  felt 
and  appreciated." 

The  reader  may  think  it  odd,  that  this  incoherent,  but 
pregnant  speech,  made  little  impression  on  me  at  the  time, 
beyond  the  grateful  conviction  of  having  really  rendered  the 
greatest  of  all  services  to  Anneke  and  her  father ;  though  I 
had  better  occasion  to  remember  it  afterwards. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  more  particularly  on  the  occur 
rences  at  the  farm-house.  The  worthy  people  did  what  they 
could  to  make  us  comfortable,  and  we  were  all  warm  in  bed, 
in  the  course  of  the  next  half-hour. 

On  the  following  morning  a  wagon  was  harnessed,  and 
we  left  these  simple  countrymen  and  women — who  refused 
everything  like  compensation,  as  a  matter  of  course — and 
proceeded  homeward.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  we  Ameri 
cans  are  mercenary:  it  may  be  so,  but  not  a  man,  probably, 
exists  in  the  colonies,  who  would  accept  money  for  such  as 
sistance.  We  were  two  hours  in  reaching  Albany,  on 
wheels  ;  and  entered  the  place  about  ten,  in  a  very  different 
style  from  that  in  which  we  had  quitted  it  the  day  before. 
As  we  drove  along,  the  highway  frequently  led  us  to  points 
that  commanded  views  of  the  river,  and  we  had  so  many 
opportunities  of  noting  the  effects  of  the  freshet.  Of  ice, 
very  little  remained.  Here  and  there  a  cake  or  a  pile  was 
seen  still  adhering  to  the  shore,  and  occasionally  fragments 
floated  downwards ;  but,  as  a  rule,  the  torrent  had  swept  all 
before  it.  I  particularly  took  notice  of  the  island  on  which 
we  had  sought  refuge.  It  was  entirely  under  water,  but  its 
outlines  were  to  be  traced  by  the  bushes  which  lined  its  low 
banks.  Most  of  the  trees  on  its  upper  end  were  cut  down, 
and  all  that  grew  on  it  would  unquestionably  have  gone,  had 
not  the  dam  given  way  as  early  as  it  did.  A  great  number 
of  trees  had  been  broken  down  on  all  the  islands;  and  large 
tops  and  heavy  trunks  were  still  floating  in  the  current,  that 


SATANSTOE.  259 

were  lately  tenants  of  the  forest,  and  had  been  violently 
torn  from  their  places. 

We  found  all  the  lower  part  of  Albany,  too,  under  water. 
Boats  were  actually  moving  through  the  streets ;  a  consider 
able  portion  of  its  inhabitants  having  no  other  means  of 
communicating  with  their  neighbours.  A  sloop  of  some  size 
lay  up  on  one  of  the  lowest  spots ;  and,  as  the  water  was 
already  subsiding,  it  was  said  she  would  remain  there  until 
removed  by  the  shipwrights.  Nobody  was  drowned  in  the 
place ;  for  it  is  not  usual  for  the  people  of  these  colonies  to 
remain  in  their  beds,  at  such  times,  to  await  the  appearance 
of  the  enemy  in  at  their  windows.  We  often  read  of  such 
accidents  destroying  hundreds  in  the  Old  World ;  but,  in  the 
New,  human  life  is  of  too  much  account  to  be  unnecessarily 
thrown  away,  and  so  we  make  some  efforts  to  preserve  it. 

As  we  drove  into  the  street  in  which  Herman  Mordaunt 
lived,  we  heard  a  shout,  and  turning  our  heads,  we  saw 
Guert  Ten  Eyck  waving  his  cap  to  us,  with  joy  delineated 
in  every  feature  of  his  handsome  face.  At  the  next  moment 
he  was  at  our  side. 

"  Mr.  Herman  Mordaunt,"  he  cried,  shaking  that  gentle 
man  most  cordially  by  the  hand,  "  I  look  upon  you  as  one 
raised  from  the  dead ;  you  and  my  excellent  neighbour, 
Mrs.  Bogart,  and  Mr.  Pollock,  here !  How  you  got  off  the 
river  is  a  mystery  to  me,  for  I  well  know  that  the  water 
commonly  breaks  through  first  under  the  west  shore.  Corny 
and  Miss  Anneke — God  bless  you  both !  Mary  Wallace  is 
in  terror  lest  ill  news  come  from  some  of  you  ;  but  I  will  run 
ahead  and  let  her  know  the  glad  tidings.  It  is  but  five 
minutes  since  I  left  her,  starting  at  every  sound,  lest  it  prove 
the  foot  of  some  ill-omened  messenger." 

Guert  stopped  to  say  no  more.  In  a  minute  he  was  inside 
of  Herman  Mordaunt's  ho6se — in  another  Anneke  and  Mary 
Wallace  were  locked  in  each  other's  arms.  After  exchang 
ing  salutes,  Mrs.  Bogart  was  conveyed  to  her  own  residence, 
and  there  was  a  termination  to  that  memorable  expedition. 

Guert  had  less  to  communicate,  in  the  way  of  dangers 
and  marvels,  than  I  had  anticipated.  It  seemed,  that  when 
he  and  Miss  Wallace  reached  the  inner  margin  of  the  last 
island,  a  large  cake  of  ice  had  entered  the  strait,  arid  got 
jammed;  or  rather,  that  it  went  through,  forced  by  the 


260  S  A  T  A  N  S  T  O  E  .  Jt 

tremendous  pressure  above ;  though  not  without  losing  large 
masses,  as  it  came  in  contact  with  the  shores,  and  grinding 
much  of  its  material  into  powder,  by  the  attrition.  Guert's 
presence  of  mind  and  decision  did  him  excellent  service  here. 
Without  delaying  an  instant,  the  moment  it  was  in  his  power, 
he  led  Mary  on  that  cake,  and  crossed  the  narrow  branch 
of  the  river,  which  alone  separated  him  from  the  main  land, 
on  it,  dry-shod.  The  water  was  beginning  to  find  its  way 
over  this  cake,  as  it  usually  did  on  all  those  that  lay  low, 
and  which  even  stopped  in  their  progress;  but  this  did  not 
offer  any  serious  obstacles  to  persons  who  were  so  prompt. 
Safe  themselves,  our  friends  remained  to  see  if  we  could  not 
be  induced  to  join  them ;  and  the  call  we  heard,  was  from 
Guert,  who  had  actually  re-crossed  to  the  island,  in  the  hope 
of  meeting  us,  and  directing  us  to  a  place  of  safety.  Guert 
never  said  anything  to  me  on  the  subject,  himself;  but  I 
subsequently  gathered  from  Mary  Wallace's  accounts,  that 
the  young  man  did  not  rejoin  her  without  a  good  deal  of 
hazard  and  difficulty,  and  after  a  long  and  fruitless  search 
for  his  companions.  Finding  it  useless  to  remain  any  longer 
on  the  river-side,  Guert  and  his  companion  held  their  way 
towards  Albany.  About  midnight  they  reached  the  ferry, 
opposite  to  the  town  ;  having  walked  quite  six  miles,  filled 
with  uneasiness  on  account  of  those  who  had  been  left  be 
hind.  Guert  was  a  man  of  decision,  and  he  wisely  deter 
mined  it  would  be  better  to  proceed,  than  to  attempt  waking 
up  the  inmates  of  any  of  the  houses  he  passed.  The  river 
was  now  substantially  free  from  ice,  though  running  with 
great  velocity.  But,  Guert  was  an  expert  oarsman ;  and, 
finding  a  skiff,  he  persuaded  Mary  Wai  lace  to  enter  it;  actu 
ally  succeeding,  by  means  of  the  eddies,  in  landing  her 
within  ten  feet  of  the  very  spot  where  the  hand-sled  had  de 
posited  him  and  myself,  only  a  few  days  before.  From  this 
point,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  walking  home;  and  Miss 
Wallace  actually  slept  in  her  own  bed,  that  eventful  night 
if,  indeed,  she  could  sleep. 

Such  was  the  termination  of  this  adventure ;  one  that  I 
have  rightly  termed  memorable.  In  the  end,  Jack  and 
Moses  came  in  safe  and  sound ;  having  probably  swum 
ashore.  They  were  found  m  the  public  road,  only  *  short 
distance  from  the  town,  and  were  brought  in  to  thei/  master 


SATAN S TOE.  261 

the  same  day.  Every  one  who  too*  any  interest  in  horses 
— and  what  Dutchman  does  not? — knew  Jack  and  Moses, 
and  there  was  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining  to  whom  they 
belonged.  What  is  singular,  however,  both  sleighs  were 
recovered  ;  though  at  long  intervals  of  time,  and  under 
very  different  circumstances.  That  of  Guert,  wolves'  skins 
and  all,  actually  went  down  the  whole  length  of  the  river  on 
the  ice ;  passing  out  to  sea  through  the  Narrows.  It  must 
have  gone  by  New  York  in  the  night,  or  doubtless  it  would 
have  been  picked  up  ;  while  the  difficulty  of  reaching  it,  was 
its  protector  on  the  descent,  above  the  town.  Once  outside 
of  the  Narrows,  it  was  thrown  by  the  tide  and  winds  upon 
the  shore  of  Staten  Island ;  where  it  was  hauled  to  land, 
housed,  and,  being  properly  advertised  in  our  New  York 
paper,  Guert  actually  got  tidings  of  it  in  time  to  receive  it, 
skins  and  all,  by  one  of  the  first  sloops  that  ascended  the 
Hudson  that  year ;  which  was  within  a  fortnight  after  the 
river  had  opened.  The  year  1758  was  one  of  great  activity, 
on  account  of  the  movements  of  the  army,  and  no  time  was 
then  unnecessarily  lost. 

The  history  of  Herman  Mordaunt's  sleigh  was  very  dif 
ferent.  The  poor  bays  must  have  drowned  soon  after  we 
saw  them  floating  past  us  in  the  torrent.  Of  course,  life 
had  no  sooner  left  them,  than  they  sank  to  the  bottom  of  the 
river,  carrying  with  them  the  sleigh  to  which  they  were 
still  attached.  In  a  few  days  the  animals  rose  to  the  sur- 
<ace — as  is  usual  with  all  swollen  bodies — bringing  up  the 
sleigh  again.  In  this  condition,  the  wreck  was  overtaken 
by  a  downward  bound  sloop,  the  men  of  which  saved  the 
sleigh,  harness,  skins,  foot-stoves,  and  such  other  articles  as 
would  not  float  away. 

Our  adventure  made  a  good  deal  of  noise  in  the  circle  of 
Albany;  and  I  have  reason  to  think  that  my  own  conduct 
was  approved  by  those  who  heard  of  it.  Bulstrode  paid  me 
an  especial  visit  of  thanks,  the  very  day  of  my  return, 
when  the  following  conversation  took  place  between  us  : — 

"  You  seem  fated,  my  dear  Corny,"  the  Major  observed, 
after  he  had  paid  the  usual  compliments,  "  to  be  always 
serving  me  in  the  most  material  way,  and  I  scarcely  know 
how  to  express  all  I  feel  on  the  occasion.  First,  the  lion, 
and  now  this  affair  of  the  river — but,  that  Guert  will  drown. 


262  SATANSTOE. 

or  make  away  with  the  whole  family  before  the  summer  is 
over,  unless  Mr.  Mordaunt  puts  a  stop  to  his  interference." 
"  This  accident  was  one  that  might  have  overtaken  the 
oldest  and  most  prudent  man  in  Albany.  The  river  seemed 
as  solid  as  the  street  when  we  went  on  it ;  and  another  hour, 
even  as'lt  was,  would  have  brought  us  all  home,  in  entire 
safety." 

"Ay,  but  that  hour  came  near  bringing  death  and  desola 
tion  into  the  most  charming  family  in  the  colony ;  and  you 
have  been  the  means  of  averting  the  heaviest  part  of  the 
blow.  I  wish  to  Heaven,  Littlepage,  that  you  would  con 
sent  to  come  into  the  army !  Join  us  as  a  volunteer,  the 
moment  we  move,  and  I  will  write  to  Sir  Harry  to  obtain  a 
pair  of  colours  for  you.  As  soon  as  he  hears  that  we  are 
indebted  to  your  coolness  and  courage  for  the  life  of  Miss 
Mordaunt,  he  will  move  heaven  and  earth,  to  manifest  his 
gratitude.  The  instant  this  good  parent  made  up  his  mind 
to  accept  Miss  Mordaunt  as  a  daughter,  he  began  to  consider 
her  as  a  child  of  his  own." 

"And  Anneke — Miss  Mordaunt,  herself,  Mr.  Bulstrode^ 
does  she  regard  Sir  Harry  as  a  father?" 

"  Why,  that  must  be  coming  by  slow  degrees,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  you  know.  Women  are  slower  than  us  men  to 
admit  such  totally  novel  impressions  ;  and  I  dare  say  Anneke 
fancies  one  father  enough  for  her,  just  at  this  moment : 
though  she  sends  very  pleasant  messages  to  Sir  Harry,  I 
can  assure  you,  when  in  the  humour !  But,  what  makes 
you  so  grave,  my  good  Corny?" 

"  Mr.  Bulstrode,  I  conceive  it  no  more  than  fair,  to  be  as 
honest  as  yourself  in  this  matter.  You  have  told  me  that 
you  are  a  suitor  for  Miss  Mordaunt's  hand ;  I  will  now  own 
to  you  that  I  am  your  rival." 

My  companion  heard  this  declaration  with  a  quiet  smile, 
and  the  most  perfect  good-nature. 

"  So  you  actually  wish  to  become  the  husband  of  Anneke 
Mordaunt,  yourself,  my  doar  Corny,  do  you?"  he  said,  so 
coolly,  that  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know  of  what  sort  of  materials 
the  man  could  be  made. 

"  I  do,  Major  Bulstrode — it  is  the  first  and  last  wish  of 
my  heart." 


SATANSTOE.  263 

"  Since  you  seem  disposed  to  reciprocate  my  confidence 
you  will  not  take  offence  if  I  ask  you  a  question  or  two !" 

"  Certainly  not,  sir ;  your  own  frankness  shall  be  a  rule 
for  my  government." 

"  Have  you  ever  let  Miss  Mordaunt  know  that  such  are 
your  wishes?" 

"  I  have,  sir ;  and  that  in  the  plainest  terms  —  such  as 
cannot  well  be  misunderstood." 

"  What !  last  night? — On  that  infernal  ice  ! — While  she 
thought  her  life  was  in  your  hands  !" 

"  Nothing  was  said  on  the  subject,  last  night,  for  we  had 
other  thoughts  to  occupy  our  minds." 

"  It  would  have  been  a  most  ungenerous  thing  to  take  ad 
vantage  of  a  lady's  fears — " 

"  Major  Bulstrode ! — I  cannot  submit — " 

"  Hush,  my  dear  Corny,"  interrupted  the  other,  holding 
out  a  hand  in  a  most  quiet  and  friendly  manner ;  "  there 
must  be  no  misunderstanding  between  you  and  me.  Men 
are  never  greater  simpletons,  than  when  they  let  the  secret 
consciousness  of  their  love  of  life  push  them  into  swaggering 
about  their  honour;  when  their  honour  has,  in  fact,  nothing 
to  do  with  the  matter  in  hand.  I  shall  not  quarrel  with  you  ; 
and  must  beg  you,  in  advance,  to  receive  my  apologies  for 
any  little  indecorum  into  which  I  may  be  betrayed  by  sur 
prise;  as  for  great  pieces  of  indecorum,  I  shall  endeavour 
to  avoid  them." 

"  Enough  has  been  said,  Mr.  Bulstrode  ;  I  am  no  wrangler, 
to  quarrel  with  a  shadow ;  and,  I  trust,  not  in  the  least, 
that  most  contemptible  of  all  human  beings,  a  social  bully, 
to  be  on  all  occasions  menacing  the  sword  or  the  pistol. 
Such  men  usually  do  nothing,  when  matters  come  to  a 
crisis.  Even  when  they  fight,  they  fight  bunglingly,  and 
innocently." 

"  You  are  right,  Littlepage,  and  I  honour  yonr  sentiments. 
I  have  remarked  that  the  most  expert  swordsman  with  his 
tongue,  and  the  deadest  shot  at  a  shingle,  are  commonly  as 
innocent  as  lambs  of  the  shedding  of  blood  on  the  ground. 
They  can  sometimes  screw  themselves  up  to  meet,  an  adver 
sary,  but  it  exceeds  their  powers  to  use  their  weapons  pro 
perly,  when  it  comes  to  serious  work.  The  swaggerer  is 
ever  a  coward  at*heart,  however  well  he  may  wear  a  mask 


264  SATANSTOB. 

for  a  time.  But  enough  of  this. — We  understand  each  other, 
and  are  to  remain  friends,  under  all  circumstances.  May  1 
question  further?" 

" Ask  what  you  please,  Bulstrode — I  shall  answer,  or  not, 
at  my  own  discretion." 

"  Then,  permit  me  to  inquire,  if  Major  Littlepage  has 
authorized  you  to  offer  proper  settlements'?" 

"  I  am  authorized  to  offer  nothing. — Nor  is  it  usual  for 
the  husband  to  make  settlements  on  his  wife,  in  these  colo 
nies,  further  than  what  the  law  does  for  her,  in  favour  of 
her  own.  The  father,  sometimes,  has  a  care  for  the  third 
generation.  I  should  expect  Herman  Mordaunt  to  settle  his 
estate  on  his  daughter,  and  her  rightful  heirs,  let  her  marry 
whom  she  may." 

"Ay,  that  is  a  very  American  notion ;  and  one  on  which 
Herman  Mordaunt,  who  remembers  his  extraction,  will 
be  little  likely  to  act.  Well,  Corny,  we  are  rivals,  as  it 
would  seem ;  but  that  is  no  reason  we  should  not  remain 
friends.  We  understand  each  other — though,  perhaps,  I 
ought  to  tell  you  all." 

"  I  should  be  glad  to  know  all,  Mr.  Bulstrode  ;  and  can 
meet  my  fate,  I  hope,  like  a  man.  Whatever  it  .may  cost 
me,  if  Anneke  prefer  another,  her  happiness  will  be  dearer 
to  me  than  my  own." 

"  Yes,  my  dear  fellow,  we  all  say  and  think  so  at  one- 
and-twenty ;  which  is  about  your  age,  I  believe.  At  two- 
and-twenty,  we  begin  to  see  that  our  own  happiness  has  an 
equal  claim  on  us;  and,  at  *Aree-and-twenty,  we  even  give 
it  the  preference.  However,  I  will  be  just,  if  I  am  selfish. 
I  have  no  reason  to  believe  Anne  Mordaunt  does  prefer  me ; 
though  my  perhaps  is  not  altogether  without  a  meaning, 
either." 

"  In  which  case,  I  may  possibly  be  permitted  to  know  to 
what  it  refers  ?" 

"  It  refers  to  the  father ;  and,  I  can  tell  you,  my  fine  fel 
low,  that  fathers  are  of  some  account,  in  the  arrangement 
of  marriages  between  parties  of  any  standing.  Had  not  Sir 
Harry  authorized  my  own  proposals,  where  should  I  have 
been?  Not  a  farthing  of  settlement  could  I  have  offered, 
while  he  remained  Sir  Harry ;  notwithstanding  I  had  the 
prodigious  advantage  of  the  entail.  I  can"  tell  you  what  it 


SATANSTOE.  265.- 

i 

is,  Corny  ;  the  existing  power  is  always  an  important  power 
since  we  all  think  more  of  the  present  time,  than  of  the 
future.  That  is  the  reason  so  few  of  us  get  to  Heaven.  As 
for  Herman  Mordaunt,  I  deem  it  no  more  than  fair  to  tell 
you,  he  is  on  my  side,  heart  and  hand.  He  likes  my  offers 
of  settlement ;  he  likes  my  family ;  he  likes  my  rank,  civil 
and  military  ;  and  I  am  not  altogether  without  the  hope,  that 
he  likes  me." 

I  made  no  direct  answer,  and  the  conversation  soon 
changed.  Bulstrode's  declaration,  however,  caused  me  to 
remember  both  the  speech  and  manner  of  Herman  Mor 
daunt,  when  he  thanked  me  for  saving  his  daughter's  life. 
I  now  began  to  reflect  on  it ;  and  reflected  on  it  much  during 
the  next  few  months.  In  the  end,  the  reader  will  learn  the 
effect  it  had  on  my  happiness. 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

Good  Sir,  why  do  you  start ;  and  seem  to  fear 
Things  that  do  sound  so  fair?     I'  the  name  of  truth, 
Are  ye  fantastical,  or  that  indeed 
Which  outwardly  ye  show  ?" 

Banquet. 

As  I  have  said  already,  the  adventure  on  the  river  made 
a  good  deal  of  noise,  in  that  simple  community ;  and  it  had 
the  effect  to  render  Guert  and  myself  a  sort  of  heroes,  in  a 
small  way  ;  bringing  me  much  more  into  notice,  than  would 
otherwise  have  been  the  case.  I  thought  that  Guert,  in  par 
ticular,  would  be  likely  to  reap  its  benefit ;  for,  various 
elderly  persons,  who  were  in  the  habit  of  frowning,  when 
ever  his  name  was  mentioned,  I  was  given  to  understand, 
could  now  smile  ;  and  two  or  three  of  the  most  severe  among 
the  Albany  moralists,  were  heard  to  say  that,  "after  all, 
there  was  some  good  about  that  Guert  Ten  Eyck."  The 
reader  will  not  require  to  be  told,  that  a  high-school  moral 
ist,  in  a  place  as  retired  and  insulated  as  Albany,  must 
necessarily  be  a  Being  that  became  subject  to  a  very  severe 
23 


266  SATANSTOfi. 

code.     Morality,  as  I  understand  the  matter,  has  a  good 
deal  of  convention  about  it.     There  is  town-morality  and 
country-morality,  all  over  the  world,  as  they  tell  me.     But, 
in  America,  our  morals  were,  and  long  have  been,  separated 
into  three  great  and  very  distinct  classes ;  viz. — New  Eng 
land,  or  puritan-morals  ;  middle  colonies,  or  liberal  morals  ; 
and  southern  colonies,  or  latitudinarian  morals.     I  shall  not 
pretend  to  point  out  all  the  shades  of  difference  in  these  seve 
ral  schools  ;  though  that  in  which  I  had  myself  been  taught, 
.was  necessarily  the  most  in  conformity  with  my  own  tastes. 
There  were  minor  shades  to  be  found  in  the  same  school ; 
Guert  and  myself  belonging  to  different  classes.     His  morals 
were  of  the  Dutch  class;  while  mine  more  properly  be 
longed  to   the  English.     The   great   characteristic  of  the 
Dutch  school,  was   the  tendency  to  excess  that  prevailed, 
when  indulgencies  were  sought.     With  them,  it  did  not  rain 
often ;  but,  when  it  did  rain,  it  was  pretty  certain  to  pour. 
Old  Col.  Pollock  was  a  case  in  point,  on  this  score ;  nor 
was  his  son  Dirck,  young  and  diffident  as  he  was,  altogether 
an  exception  to  the  rule.     There  was  not  a  more  respectable 
man  in  the  colony,  in  the  main,  than  Col.  Van  Valkenburgh. 
He  was  well  connected ;  had    a  handsome  unencumbered 
estate  ;  and  money  at  interest ; — was  a  principal  prop,  in  the 
church  of  his  neighbourhood  ;  was  esteemed  as  a  good  hus 
band  ;  a  good  father  ;  a  true  friend  ;  a  kind  neighbour  ;  an 
excellent,  and  loyal  subject,  and  a  thoroughly  honest  man. 
Nevertheless,  Col.  Van  Valkenburgh  had  his  weak  times 
and  seasons.     He  would  have  a  frolic  ;  and  the  Dominie 
was  obliged  to  wink  at  this  propensity.     Mr.  Worden  often 
nicknamed  him  Col.  Frolic.     His  frolics  might  be  divided 
into  two  classes ;  viz.  the  moderate  and  immoderate.     Of 
the  first,  he  had  two  or  three  turns  a  year ;  and  these  were 
the   occasions  on  which   he   commonly  visited    Satanstoe, 
or   had    my   father    with   him   at    Rockrockarock,  as   his 
own   place,  in    Rockland,   was   called.      On    these  visits, 
whether  to  or  from,  there  was  a  large  consumption  of  tobacco, 
beer,  cider,  wine,  rum,  lemons,  sugar,  and  the  other  ingre-. 
dients  of  punch,  toddy  and  flip  ;  but  no  outrageously  durable 
excesses.     There  was  much  laughing,  a  great  deal  of  good 
feeling,  many  stories,  and  regular  repetitions  of  old  adven- 
tures,"in  the  way  of  traditional  narrations ;  but  nothing  tha,t 


SATANSTOE.  267 

could  be  called  decided  excesses.  It  is  true,  that  my  grand, 
father,  and  my  father,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden,  and  Col. 
Pollock,  were  much  in  the  habit  of  retiring  to  their  beds  a 
little  confused  in  their  brains ,  the  consequence  of  so  much 
tobacco-smoke,  as  Mr.  Worden  always  maintained ;  but 
everything  was  decent,  and  in  order.  The  parson,  for  in 
stance,  invariably  pulled  up  on  a  Friday;  and  did  not  take 
his  place  in  the  circle  until  Monday  evening,  again  ;  which 
gave  him  fully  twenty-four  hours,  to  cool  off  in,  before  he 
ascended  the  pulpit.  I  will  say  this,  for  Mr.  Worden,  that 
he  was  very  systematic  and  methodical  in  the  observance  of 
all  his  duties;  and  I  have  known  him,  when  he  happened 
to  be  late  at  dinner,  on  discovering  that  my  father  had 
omitted  to  say  grace,  insist  on  everybody's  laying  down 
their  knives  and  forks,  while  he  asked  a  blessing;  even 
though  it  were  after  the  fish  was  actually  eaten.  No,  no ; 
Mr.  Worden  was  a  particular  person,  about  all  such  things; 
and  it  was  generally  admitted,  that  he  had  been  the  means 
of  causing  grace  to  be  introduced  into  several  families,  in 
Westchester ;  in  which  it  had  never  been  the  practice  to 
have  it,  before  his  examples  and  precepts  were  known  to 
them. 

I  had  not  been  acquainted  with  Guert  Ten  Eyck  a  fort 
night,  before  I  saw  he  had  a  tendency  to  the  same  sort  of 
excesses  as  those  to  which  Col.  Van  Valkenburgh  was  ad 
dicted.  There  was  an  old  French  Huguenot  living  near 
Satanstoe — or  rather,  the  son  of  one,  who  still  spoke  his 
father's  language  —  and  who  used  to  call  Col.  Follock's 
frolics  his  '•'•grands  couchers"  and  his  "petit  couchers;"* 

»  In  plain  English,  the  " great  go-to-bed,"  and  the  "little  go-to- 
bed."  There  may  be  a  portion  of  our  readers  who  are  not  aware  that 
the  word  "levee,"  meaning  a  morning  reception  by  a  great  man,  is 
derived  from  the  French  "  lever,"  which  means  "  to  rise,"  or  "  to  get 
up."  The  kings  of  France  were  in  the  habit  of  receiving  homage  at 
their  morning  toilets ;  a  strange  custom,  that  doubtless  had  its  origin 
in  the  empressement  of  the  courtier  to  inquire  how  his  master  had 
slept;  which  receptions  were  divided  into  two  classes,  the  "grand 
lever,"  and  the  '•'•petit  lever"  —  the"  great  getting-up"  or  the  "little 
getting-up."  The  first  was  an  occasion  of  more  state  than  the  last. 
Even  down  to  the  time  of  Charles  X.,  the  court  papers  seldom  went  a 
week  without  announcing  that  the  king  had  signed  the  contract  of 
marriage — a  customary  compliment  in  France,  among  friends  of  this 
or  that  personage — at  the  "  grand  lever,"  or  at  the  "  petit  lever ;"  the 


268  SATANSTOE. 

inasmuch  as  he  usually  got  to  bed  at  the  last,  without  assist 
ance  ;  while  at  the  first,  it  was  indispensable  that  some  aid 
should  be  proffered.  It  was  these  "  grands  couchers"  at 
which  my  father  never  assisted.  On  these  occasions,  the 
colonel  invariably  held  his  orgies  over  in  Rockland,  in  the 
society  of  men  of  purely  Dutch  extraction  ;  there  being 
something  exclusive  in  the  enjoyment.  I  have  heard  it  said 
that  these  last  frolics  sometimes  lasted  a  week,  on  really  im 
portant  occasions;  during  the  whole  of  which  time  the 
colonel  and  all  near  him  were  as  happy  as  lords.  These 
"grands  couchers"  however,  occurred  but  rarely — coming 
round,  as  it  might  be,  like  leap-years,  just  to  regulate  the 
calendar,  and  adjust  the  time. 

As  for  my  new  friend,  Guert,  he  made  no  manifestation 
towards  a  '•''grand  coucher"  during  the  time  I  remained  at 
Albany — this  his  attachment  to  Mary  Wallace  forbade — but, 
[  discovered  by  means  of  hints  and  allusions,  that  he  had 
been  engaged  in  one  or  two  such  affairs,  and  that  there  was 
still  a  longing  for  them  in  his  bones.  It  was  owing  to  her 
consciousness  of  the  existence  of  such  weaknesses,  and  her 
own  strong  aversion  to  anything  of  the  sort,  that,  I  am  per 
suaded,  Mary  Wallace  was  alone  induced  to  hesitate  about 
accepting  Guert's  weekly  offer  of  his  hand.  The  tenderness 
she  evidently  felt  for  him,  now  shone  too  obviously  in  her 
eyes,  to  leave  any  doubt  in  my  mind  of  Guert's  final  success  ; 
for  what  woman  ever  refused  long  to  surrender,  when  the 
image  of  the  besieger  had  taken  its  place  in  the  citadel  of 
her  heart !  Even  Anneke  received  Guert  with  much  favour, 
after  his  excellent  behaviour  on  the  river;  and  I  fancied  that 
everything  was  going  on  most  flatteringly  for  my  friend, 
while  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  made  no  advances  in  my  own 
suit.  Such,  at  least,  were  my  notions  on  the  subject,  at  the 
very  moment  when  my  new  friend,  as  it  appeared,  was 
nearly  driven  to  desperation. 

It  was  near  the  end  of  April,  or  about  a  month  after  our 
perilous  adventure  on  the  ice,  that  Guert  came  to  seek  me, 
one  fine  spring  morning,  with  something  very  like  despair 
depicted  in  his  fine,  manly  face.  During  the  whole  of  that 
month,  it  ought  to  be  premised,  I  had  not  dared  to  speak  of 

first,  I  believe,  but  am  not  certain,  being  the  greater  honour  of  tho 
two. — EDITOR. 


SATANSTOE.  269 

love  to  Anneke.  My  attentions  and  visits  were  incessant 
and  pointed,  but  my  tongue  had  been  silent.  The  diffidence  of 
real  admiration  had  held  me  tongue-tied  ;  and  I  foolishly  fan 
cied  there  would  be  something  like  presuming  on  the  services 
I  had  so  lately  rendered,  in  urging  my  suit  so  soon  after  the 
occurrence  of  the  events  I  have  described.  I  had  even  the 
romance  to  think  it  might  be  taking  an  undue  advantage 
of  Bulstrode,  to  wish  to  press  my  claims  at  a  moment  when 
the  common  object  of  our  suit  might  be  supposed  to  feel  the 
influence  of  a  lively  gratitude.  These  were  the  notions  and 
sentiments  of  a  very  young  man,  it  must  be  confessed ;  but 
I  do  not  know  that  I  ought  to  feel  ashamed  of  them.  At 
all  events,  they  existed ;  and  they  had  produced  the  effect  I 
have  mentioned,  leaving  me  to  fall,  each  day,  more  despe 
rately  in  love,  while  I  made  no  sensible  advances  in  prefer 
ring  my  suit.  Guert  was  very  much  in  the  same  situation, 
with  this  difference,  however ;  he  made  it  a  point  to  offer 
himself,  distinctly,  each  Monday  morning,  invariably  receiv 
ing  for  an  answer  "  no ;"  if  the  lady  were  to  be  pressed  for 
a  definite  reply ;  but  leaving  some  glimmering  of  hope, 
should  time  be  given  for  her  to  make  up  her  mind.  The 
visit  of  Guert's,  to  which  I  have  just  alluded,  was  after  one 
of  the  customary  offers,  and  usual  replies  ;  the  offer  direct, 
and  the  "no,"  tempered  by  the  doubting  and  thoughtful 
brow,  the  aflectionate  smile,  and  the  tearful  eye. 

"  Corny,"  said  my  friend,  throwing  down  his  hat  with  .a 
most  rueful  aspect ;  for,  winter  having  departed,  and  spring 
come,  we  had  all  laid  aside  our  fur-caps — "  Corny,  I  have 
just  been  refused  again  !  That  word, '  no,'  has  got  to  be  so 
common  with  Mary  Wallace,  that  I  am  afraid  her  tongue  will 
never  know  how  to  utter  a  '  yes  !'  Do  you  know,  Corny,  I 
have  a  great  mind  to  consult  Mother  Doortje  !" 

"Mother  who? — You  do  not  mean  Mr.  Mayor's  cook, 
surely!" 

"  No  ;  Mother  Doortje.  She  is  said  to  be  the  best  fortune 
teller  that  has  ever  lived  in  Albany.  But,  perhaps,  you  do 
not  believe  in  fortune-tellers;  some  people  I  know  do  not?" 

"  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  much  belief,  or  unbelief,  on 
the  subject,  never  having  seen  anything  of  that  sort." 

"  Have  they,  then,  no  fortune-teller,  no  person  who  has 
the  dark  art,  in  New  York  ?" 
23  * 


270  SATANSTOE. 

"  I  have  heard  of  such  people,  but  have  never  had  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  or  hearing  for  myself.  If  you  do  go 
to  see  this  Mother  Dorrichy,  or  whatever  you  call  her,  I 
should  like  amazingly  to  be  of  the  party."* 

Guert  was  delighted  to  hear  this,  and  he  caught  eagerly 
at  the  offer.  If  I  would  stand  his  friend  he  would  go  at 
once ;  but  he  confessed  he  did  not  like  to  trust  himself  all 
alone  in  the  old  woman's  company. 

"  I  am,  perhaps,  the  only  man  of  my  time  of  life,  in 
Albany,  who  has  not,  sooner  or  later,  consulted  Mother 
Doortje;"  he  added.  "  I  do  not  know  how  it  is,  but,  some- 
how,  I  have  never  liked  to  tempt  fortune  by  going  to  ques 
tion  her !  One  never  can  tell  what  such  a  being  may  say  ; 
and  should  it  be  evil,  why  it  might  make  a  man  very  miser 
able.  I  am  sure  I  want  no  more  trouble,  as  it  is,  than  to 
find  Mary  Wallace  so  undetermined  about  having  me!" 

"  Then  you  do  not  mean  to  go,  after  all !  I  am  not  only 
ready,  but  anxious  to  accompany  you." 

"  You  mistake  me,  Corny.  Go  I  will,  now,  though  she 
tell  me  that  which  will  cause  me  to  cut  my  throat — but,  we 
must  not  go  as  we  are  ;  we  must  disguise  ourselves,  in  order 
that  she  may  not  know  us.  Everybody  goes  disguised  ;  and 
then  they  have  an  opportunity  of  learning  if  she  is  in  a  good 
vein,  or  not,  by  seeing  if  she  can  tell  anything  about  their 
business,  or  habits,  in  the  first  place.  If  she  fail  in  that,  I 
should  not.  care  a  straw  for  any  of  the  rest.  So,  go  to  work, 
Corny,  and  dress  yourself  for  the  occasion — borrow  some 
clothes  of  the  people  in  the  house,  here,  and  come  round  to 
me,  as  soon  as  you  please ;  I  shall  be  ready,  for  I  often  go 
disguised  to  frolics — yes,  unlucky  devil  that  I  am,  and  come 
back  disguised,  too ! 

Everything  was  done,  as  desired.  By  means  of  a  servant 
in  the  tavern,  I  was  soon  equipped  in  a  way  that  satisfied 
me  was  very  successful ;  inasmuch  as  I  passed  Dirck,  in 
quitting  the  house,  and  my  old,  confidential  friend  did  not 
recognise  me.  Guert  was  in  as  good  luck,  as  I  actually 
asked  himself  for  himself,  when  he  opened  the  door  for  my 

*  Doortje — pronounced  Doort-yay — means  Dorothea.  Mr.  Little, 
page  uses  a  sort  of  corruption  of  the  pronunciation.  I  well  remem 
oer  a  fortune-teller  of  that  name,  in  Albany ;  though  it  could  not  have 
been  the  Doortje  of  1758.  —  EDITOR. 


SATAN  S  TOE.  271 

admission.  The  laugh,  and  the  handsome  face,  however, 
soon  let  me  into  the  secret,  and  we  sallied  forth  in  high 
spirits ;  almost  forgetting  our  misgivings  concerning  the 
future,  in  the  fun  of  passing  our  acquaintances  in  the  street, 
without  being  known. 

Guert  was  much  more  artistically  and  knowingly  dis 
guised,  than  I  was  myself.  We  both  had  put  on  the  clothes 
of  labourers ;  Guert  wearing  a  smock-frock  that  he  hap 
pened  to  own  for  his  fishing  occupations  in  summer — but  I 
had  my  usual  linen  in  view,  and  wore  all  the  ordinary  minor 
articles  of  my  daily  attire.  My  friend  pointed  out  some  of 
these  defects,  as  we  went  along,  and  an  attempt  was  made 
to  remedy  them.  Mr.  Worden  coming  in  view,  I  determined 
to  stop  him,  and  speak  to  him  in  a  disguised  voice,  in  order 
to  ascertain  if  it  were  possible  to  deceive  him. 

"  Your  sarvant,  Tominie,"  I  said,  making  an  awkward 
bow,  as  soon  as  we  got  near  enough  to  the  parson  to  ad 
dress  him; '"be  you  ter  Tominie,  that  marries  folk  on  a 
pinch?". 

"Ay,  or  on  a  handful,  liking  the  last  best. — Why,  Corny, 
_hou  rogue,  what  does  all  this  mean  ?" 

It  was  necessary  to  let  Mr.  Worden  into  the  secret;  and 
he  no  sooner  learned  the  business  we  were  on,  than  he  ex 
pressed  a  wish  to  be  of  the  party.  As  there' was  no  declin 
ing,  we  now  went  to  the  inn,  and  gave  him  time  to  assume 
a  suitable  disguise.  As  the  divine  was  a  rigid  observer  of 
the  costume  of  his  profession,  and  was  most  strictly  a  man 
of  his  cloth,  it  was  a  very  easy  matter  for  him  to  make  such 
a  change  in  his  exterior,  as  completely  to  render  him  incog 
nito.  When  all  was  ready,  we  went  finally  forth,  on  our 
errand. 

"  I  go  with  you,  Corny,  on  this  foolish  business,"  said  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Worden,  as  soon  as  we  were  fairly  on  our  way, 
"  to  comply  with  a  promise  made  your  excellent  mother,  not 
to  let  you  stray  into  any  questionable  company,  without 
keeping  a  fatherly  eye  over  you.  Now,  I  regard  a  fortune 
teller's,  as  a  doubtful  sort  of  society  ;  therefore,  I  feel  it  to 
be  a  duty,  to  make  one  of  this  party." 

I  do  not  know  whether  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  succeeded 
in  deceiving  himself;  but,  I  very  well  know,  he  did  not  suc 
ceed  in  deceiving  me.  The  fact  was,  he  loved  a  frolic ;  and 


272  SATANSTOE. 

nothing  made  him  happier,  than  to  have  an  opportunity  of 
joining  in  just  such  an  adventure  as  that  we  were  on. 
Judging  from  the  position  of  her  house,  and  the  appearance 
of  things  in  and  around  it,  the  business  of  Mother  Doortje 
was  not  of  the  most  lucrative  sort.  Dirt  and  poverty  were 
two  things  not  easily  encountered,  in  Albany  ;  and,  I  do  not 
say,  that  we  found  very  positive  evidence  of  either,  here ; 
but  there  was  less  neatness  than  was  usual  in  that  ultra- 
tidy  community ;  and,  as  for  any  great  display  of  abun 
dance,  it  was  certainly  not  to  be  met  with. 

We  were  admitted  by  a  young  woman,  who  gave  us  to 
understand  that  Mother  Doortje  had  a  couple  of  customers,, 
already ;  but  she  invited  us  to  sit  down  in  an  outer  room, 
promising  that  our  turn  should  be  the  next.  We  did  so,  ac 
cordingly,  listening,  through  a  door  that  was  a  little  ajar, 
with  no  small  degree  of  curiosity,  to  what  was  passing 
within.  I  accidentally  took  a  seat  in  a  place  that  enabled 
me  to  see  the  legs  of  one  of  the  fortune-teller's  customers ; 
and,  I  thought,  immediately,  that  the  striped  stockings  were 
familiar  to  me;  when  the  nasal,  and  very  peculiar  intona 
tion  of  Jason,  put  the  matter  out  of  all  doubt.  He  spoke  in 
an  earnest  manner  ;  which  rendered  him  a  little  incautious  ; 
while  the  woman's  tones  were  low  and  mumbled.  Notwith 
standing,  we  all  overheard  the  following  discourse — 

"  Well,  now,  Mother  Dorrichay,"  said  Jason,  in  a  very 
confiding  sort  of  way,  "  I  've  paid  you  well,  for  this  here 
business,  and  I  want  to  know  if  there  is  any  chance,  for  a 
poor  man,  in  this  colony,  who  doesn't  want  for  friends,  or, 
for  that  matter,  merit?" 

"That's  yourself"  mumbled  the  female  voice  —  in  the 
way  one  announces  a  discovery — "  yes,  I  see,  by  the  cards, 
that  your  question  applies  to  yourself.  You  are  a  young 
man,  that  wants  not  for  friends  ;  and  you  have  merit  !  You 
have  friends  that  you  deserve;  the  cards  tells  me  that!" 

"  Well,  I  'II  not  deny  the  truth  of  what  you  assert;  and,  I 
must  say,  Dirck,  it  is  a  little  strange,  this  woman,  who 
never  saw  me  before,  should  know  me  so  well  —  my  very 
natur',  as  it  might  be.  But,  do  you  think,  I  shall  do  well 
to  follow  up  the  affair  I  am  now  on,  or  that  I  had  best  give 
it  up  ?" 

"  Give  up  nothing,"  answered  the  oracle,  in  a  very  or& 


SATANSTOE.  273 

cular  manner,  shuffling  the  cards  as  she  spoke ;  "  no,  give 
up  nothing,  but  keep  all  you  can.  That  is  the  way  to 
thrive,  in  this  world." 

"  By  the  Hokey,  Dirck,  she  gives  good  advice,  and  I  think 
I  shall  follow  it !  But  how  about  the  land,  and  the  mill- 
seat — or,  rather,  how  about  the  particular  things  I  'm  think 
ing  about  ?" 

"You  are  thinking  of  purchasing  —  yes,  the  cards  say 
purchasing ;  or  is  it  *  disposing-*-' " 

"  Why,  as  I  've  got  none  to  sell,  it  can't  very  well  be 
disposing,  Mother." 

"  Yes,  I  'm  right — this  Jack  of  Clubs  settles  the  matter — 
you  are  thinking  of  buying  some  land — Ah  !  there  's  water 
running  down-hill ;  and  here  I  see  a  pond — Why,  you  are 
thinking  of  buying  a  mill-seat." 

"  By  the  Hokey  !— Who  would  have  thought  this,  Dirck  !" 

"  Not  a  mill ;  no,  there  is  no  mill  built ;  but  a  mill-seat. 
Six,  king,  three  and  an  ace ;  yes,  I  see  how  it  is — and  you 
wish  to  get  this  mill-seat  at  much  less  than  its  real  value. 
Much  less ;  not  less,  but  much  less." 

"  Well,  this  is  wonderful !  I  '11  never  gainsay  fortin-tel- 
lin'  ag'in !"  exclaimed  Jason.  "  Dirck,  you  are  to  say 
nothin'  of  this,  or  think  nothin'  of  this — as  it 's  all  in  con 
fidence,  you  know.  Now,  jist  put  in  a  last  word,  about  the 
end  of  life,  Mother,  and  I  Ml  be  satisfied.  What  you  have 
told  me  about  my  fortin  and  earnin's  must  be  true,  I  think,  for 
my  whole  heart  is  in  them ;  but  I  should  like  to  know,  after 
enjoying  so  much  wealth  and  happiness  as  you  've  foretold, 
what  sort  of  an  end  I  am  to  make  of  it?" 

"An  excellent  end — full  of  grace,  and  hope,  and  Christian 
faith.  I  see  here,  something  that  looks  like  a  clergyman's 
gown — white  sleeves — book  under  the  arm — " 

"  That  can't  be  me,  Mother,  as  I  'm  no  lover  of  forms, 
but  belong  to  the  platform." 

"  Oh !  I  see  how  it  is,  now ;  you  dislike  Church  of  Eng 
land  people,  and  could  throw  dirt  at  them.  Yes,  yes — here 
you  are — a  presbyterian  deacon,  and  one  that  can  lead  in  a 
private  meeting,  on  an  occasion." 

"  Come,  Dirck,  I  'm  satisfied — let  us  go ;  we  have  kept 
Mother  Doorichaise  long  enough,  and  I  heard  some  visiters 
come  in,  just  now.  Thank  you,  mother— thank  you,  with 


274  8ATANSTOE. 

all  my  heart ;  I  think  there  must  be  some  truth  in  this  fortin- 
tellin'  after  all !" 

Jason  now  arose,  and  walked  out  of  the  house,  without 
even  deigning  to  look  at  us — and  consequently  without  our 
being  recognised.  But  Dirck  lingered  a  minute,  not  yet 
satisfied  with  what  had  been  already  told  him. 

"  Do  you  really  think  I  shall  never  be  married,  Mother  1" 
he  asked,  in  a  tone  that  sufficiently  betrayed  the  importance 
he  attached  to  the  answer.  "  I  wish  to  know  that  particu 
larly,  before  I  go  away  !" 

"  Young  man,"  answered  the  fortune-teller  in  an  oracular 
manner ;  "  what  has  been  said,  has  been  said  !  I  cannot 
make  fortunes,  but  only  reveal  them.  You  have  heard  that 
Dutch  blood  is  in  your  veins;  but  you  live  in  an  English 
colony.  Your  king  is  her  king ;  while  she  is  your  queen — • 
and  you  are  not  her  master.  If  you  can  find  a  woman  of 
English  blood  that  has  a  Dutch  heart,  and  has  no  English 
suitors,  go  forward,  and  you  will  succeed;  but,  if  you  do 
not,  remain  as  you  are  until  time  shall  end.  These  are  my 
words,  and  these  are  my  thoughts  ;  I  can  say  no  more." 

I  heard  Dirck  sigh  —  poor  fellow!  he  was  thinking  of 
Anneke  —  and  he  passed  through  the  outer  room  without 
once  raising  his  eyes  from  the  floor.  He  left  Mother  Doortje, 
as  much  depressed  in  spirits,  as  Jason  had  left  her  elated ; 
the  one  looking  forward  to  the  future  with  a  selfish  and 
niggardly  hope,  while  the  other  regarded  it  with  a  feeling  as 
forlorn  as  the  destruction  of  all  his  youthful  fancies  could 
render  any  view  of  his  after-life.  The  reader  may  feel  dis 
posed  to  smile  at  the  idea  of  Dirck  Van  Valkenburgh's 
possessing  youthful  fancies — regarding  the  young  man  in 
the  quiet,  unassuming  manner  in  which  he  has  hitherto  been 
portrayed  by  me;  but  it  would  be  doing  great  injustice  to 
his  heart  and  feelings,  to  figure  him  to  the  mind,  as  a  being 
without  deep  sensibilities.  "l  have  always  supposed  that  this 
interview  with  Mother  Doortje  had  a  lasting  influence  on  the 
fortunes  of  poor  Dirck ;  nor  am  I  at  all  certain  its  effects 
did  not  long  linger  in  the  temperament  of  some  others  that 
might  be  named. 

As  our  turns  had  now  come,  we  were  summoned  to  the 
presence  of  this  female  soothsayer.  It  is  unnecessary  to  de 
scribe  the  apartment  in  which  we  found  Mother  Doortje. 


SATANSTOE.  275 

It  had  nothing  unusual  in  it,  with  the  exception  of  a  raven. 
Chat  was  hopping  about  the  floor,  and  which  appeared  to  be 
on  the  most  familiar  terms  with  its  mistress.  Doortje,  her 
self,  was  a  woman  of  quite  sixty,  wrinkled,  lean,  and  hag- 
Jike  ;  and,  I  thought,  some  care  had  been  taken,  in  her  dress, 
lo  increase  the  effect  of  this,  certainly  her  natural  appear- 
ance.  Her  cap  was  entirely  of  black  muslin ;  though  her 
dress  itself,  was  grey.  The  eye  of  this  woman  was  of  the 
colour  of  her  gown ;  and  it  was  penetrating,  restless,  and 
deep-seated.  Altogether,  she  looked  the  character  well. 

On  our  entrance,  after  saluting  the  fortune-teller,  each  of 
us  laid  a  French  crown  on  the  table  at  which  she  was 
seated.  This  coin  had  become  quite  current  among  us, 
since  the  French  troops  had  penetrated  into  our  colony ;  and 
it  was  even  said  they  purchased  supplies  with  it,  from  cer 
tain  of  our  own  people.  As  we  had  paid  the  highest  price 
ever  given,  for  these  glimpses  into  futurity,  we  thought  our 
selves  entitled  to  have  the  pages  of  the  sealed  book  freely 
opened  to  us. 

•"  Do  you  wish  to  see  me  together;  or  shall  I  communi 
cate  with  one  at  a  time?"  demanded  Doortje,  in  her  husky, 
sepulchral  voice ;  which,  it  struck  me,  obtained  its  peculiar 
tones  partly  from  nature,  and  partly  from  art. 

It  was  settled  that  she  should  commence  with  Mr.  Wor- 
den  ;  but,  that  all  might  remain  in  the  room  the  whole  time. 
While  we  were  talking  over  this  point,  Doortje's  eyes  were 
by  no  means  fixed ;  but,  I  remarked,  that  they  wandered 
from  person  to  person;  like  those  of  one  who  was  gathering 
information.  Many  persons  do  not  believe,  at  all,  in  the 
art  of  the  fortune-teller;  but  insist  that  there  is  nothing  more 
in  it  than  trick  and  management ;  pretending  that,  this  very 
woman  kept  the  blacks  of  the  town  in  pay,  to  bring  her 
information ;  and  that  she  never  told  anything  of  the  past, 
which  was  true,  that  had  riot  been  p-eviously  communicated  to 
herself.  I  shall  not  pretend  to  affirm  that  the  art  goes  as  far  as 
many  imagine ;  but,  it  strikes  me,  that  it  is  very  presuming,  to 
deny  that  there  is  some  truth  in  these  matters.  I  do  not 
wish  to  appear  credulous ;  though,  at  the  same  time,  I  hold 
it  to  be  wrong  to  deny  our  testimony  to  facts  that  we  are 
convinced  are  true.* 

*  It  is  quite  evident,  that  Mr.  Cornelius  Littlepage  was,  to  a  d«» 


276  SATANSTOE. 

Doortje  commenced  by  shuffling  an  exceedingly  diny 
pack  of  cards;  which  had  probably  been  used  five  hundred 
times,  on  similar  duty.  She  next  caused  Mr.  Worden  to 
cut  these  cards  ;  when  a  close  and  musing  examination  suc 
ceeded.  All  this  time,,  not  a  syllable  was  said;  though  we 
were  startled  by  a  low  whistle,  from  the  woman ;  which 
brought  the  raven  upon  her  shoulder. 

"  Well,  Mother,"  cried  Mr.  Worden,  with  a  little  impa 
tience,  at  what  he  fancied  mummery,  "  I  am  dying  to  hear 
what  has  happened,  that  I  may  put  the  more  faith  in  what 
is  to  happen.  Tell  me  something  of  the  crop  of  wheat,  I 
put  into  the  ground,  last  autumn;  how  many  bushels  I 
sowed,  and  on  how  many  acres;  whether  on  new  land,  or 
on  old  I" 

"Ay,  ay,  you  have  sowed !  —  and  you  have  sowed !" 
answered  the  woman,  on  a  high  key,  for  her ;  "  but  your 
seed  fell  among  tares,  and  on  the  flinty  ground  ;  and  you'll 
never  reap  a  soul  among  'em  all  J  Broadcast  may  you  sow 
— but  narrow  will  be  your  harvest." 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  gave  a  loud  hem — placed  his  arms 
akimbo — and  seemed  determined  to  brazen  it  out ;  though,  I 
could  easily  perceive,  that  he  felt  excessively  awkward. 

"  How  is  it,  with  my  cattle  ?  and  shall  I  send  much  mut 
ton  to  market,  this  season  ?" 

"A  wolf,  in  sheep's  clothing!"  muttered  Doortje.  "  No — 
no — you  like  hot  suppers,  and  ducks,  and  lectures  to  cooks 
more  than  gathering  in  the  harvest  of  the  Lord !" 

"  Come,  this  is  folly,  woman  I"  exclaimed  the  parson, 
angrily.  "  Give  me  some  common  sense,  for  my  good 
French  crown.  What  do  you  see,  in  that  knave  of  dia 
monds,  that  you  study  its  face  so  closely  7" 

gree  at  least,  a  believer  in  the  fortune-teller's  art.  This  was,  how 
ever,  no  more  than  was  common,  a  century  since.  Quite  within  my 
recollection,  the  Albanians  had  a  celebrated  dealer  in  the  black  art,  who 
was  regularly  consulted,  on  the  subject  of  all  lost  spoons,  and  the 
pilfering  of  servants,  by  the  good  housewives  of  the  town,  as  recently 
as  my  school-boy  days.  The  Dutch,  like  the  Germans,  appear  to  have 
been  prone  to  this  species  of  superstition ;  from  which,  even  the  Eng 
lish  of  education  were  far  from  being  free,  a  century  r.ince.  Made 
moiselle  Normand  existed  in  the  present  century,  even,  in  the  sceptical 
capital  of  France.  But,  the  somnambulist  is  taking  the  place  of  the 
ancient  soothsayer,  in  our  own  times.  —  EDITOR. 


SATANSTOE. 

"A  loping  Dominie  ! — a  loping  Dominie  I"  screamed  the 
hag,  several  times,  rather  than  exclaiming  aloud.  "  See ! — 
he  runs,  for  life;  but  Beelzebub  will  overtake  him  !" 

There  was  a  sudden,  and  dead  pause ;  for  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Worden  had  caught  up  his  hat,  and  darted  from  the  room ; 
quitting  the  house,  as  if  already  busily  engaged  in  the  race 
alluded  to.  Guert  shook  his  head,  and  looked  serious  ;  but, 
perceiving  that  the  woman  was  already  tranquil,  and  was 
actually  shuffling  the  cards  anew,  in  his  behalf,  he  advanced 
to  learn  his  fate.  I  saw  the  eyes  of  Doortje  fastened  keenly 
on  him,  as  he  took  his  stand  near  the  table,  and  the  corners 
of  her  mouth  curled  in  a  significant  smile.  What  that 
meant,  exactly,  I  have  never  been  able  to  ascertain. 

"  I  suppose,  you  wish  to  know  something  of  the  past,  like 
all  the  rest  of  them,"  mumbled  the  woman,  "  so  that  you 
may  have  faith  in  what  you  hear  about  the  future?" 

"  Why,  Mother,"  answered  Guert,  passing  his  hand 
through  his  own  fine  head  of  natural  curls,  and  speaking  a 
little  hastily,  "  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  any  great  matter 
about  the  past.  Wrhat  is  done,  is  done  ;  and  there  is  an  end 
of  it.  A  young  man  may  not  wish  to  hear  of  such  things, 
at  the  moment,  perhaps,  when  he  is  earnestly  bent  on  doing 
better.  We  are  all  young,  once  in  our  lives,  and  we  can 
grow  old  only  after  having  been  so." 

"  Yes — yes — I  see  how  it  is  !"  muttered  Doortje.  "  So- 
so — turkeys — turkeys  ;  ducks — ducks — quaack — quaack— 
quaack — gobble,  gobble,  gobble — "  Here,  the  old  hag  set 
up  such  an  imitation  of  ducks,  geese,  turkeys,  game-cocks, 
and  other  birds,  that  one  who  was  in  an  outer  room,  might 
well  have  imagined  he  heard  the  cries  of  a  regular  poultry- 
yard.  I  was  startled,  myself,  for  the  imitation  was  very 
admirable — but  Guert  was  obliged  to  wipe  the  perspiration 
from  his  face. 

"  That  will  do — that  will  do,  Mother !"  the  young  man 
exclaimed.  "  I  see,  you  know  all  about  it ;  and  there  is  no 
use  in  attempting  disguises  with  you.  Now,  tell  me,  if  I 
am  ever  to  be  a  married  man,  or  not.  My  errand  here,  is 
to  learn  that  fact ;  and  I  may  as  well  own  it,  at  once." 

"  The  world  has  many  women  in  it  —  and  fair  faces  are 
plenty,  in  Albany,"  once  more  mumbled  the  woman,  ex 
24 


278  SATANSTOB. 

amining  her  cards,  with  great  attention.     "A  youth,  like 
you,  might  marry  twice,  even." 

"  No,  that  is  impossible ;  if  I  do  not  marry  a  particular 
lady,  I  shall  never  marry  at  all." 

«  Yes — yes — I  see  how  it  is  ! — You  are  in  love,  young 
man." 

««  D'ye  hear  that,  Corny  !  Isn't  it  wonderful,  how  these 
creatures  can  tell  ?  I  admit  the  truth  of  wjiat  you  say  ;  but, 
describe  to  me  the  lady  that  1  love." 

Guert  had  forgotten,  altogether,  that  the  use  of  the  word 
lady,  completely  betrayed  the  fact  of  his  disguise  ;  since  no 
man,  truly  of  his  dress  and  air,  would  think  of  applying 
such  a  word  to  his  sweetheart.*  I  could  not  prevent  these 
little  betrayals  of  himself,  however ;  for,  by  this  time,  my 
companion  was  too  much  excited,  to  hear  reason. 

"  The  lady  that  you  love,"  answered  the  fortune-teller, 
deliberately,  and  with  the  manner  of  one  that  proceeded  with 
great  confidence,  "  is  very  handsome,  in  the  first  place." 

"  True  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens,  Mother !" 

"  Then,  she  is  virtuous,  and  amiable,  and  wise,  and  witty, 
and  good." 

"  The  Gospel  is  not  more  certain !  Corny,  this  surpasses 
belief!" 

"  Then,  she  is  young.  Yes,  she  is  young,  and  fair,  and 
good ;  three  things  that  make  her  much  sought  after." 

"  Why  is  she  so  long  reflecting  on  my  offers,  Mother ; 
tell  me  that,  I  beg  of  you  ;  or,  will  she  ever  consent  to  have 
me?" 

"  I  see — I  see — it  is  all  here,  on  the  cards.  The  lady 
cannot  make  up  her  mind." 

"  Listen  to  that,  now,  Corny ;  and  do  not  tell  me  there  is 
nothing  in  this  art.  Why  does  she  not  make  up  her  mind  1 
For  Heaven's  sake,  let  me  know  that  1  A  man  may  tire 
of  offering  to  marry  an  angel,  and  getting  no  answer.  I  wish 
to  know  the  reason  of  her  doubts." 

"A  woman's  mind  is  not  easily  read.  Some  are  in  haste, 
while  some  are  not.  I  am  of  opinion  you  wish  to  get  a'n 

*  This  might  have  been  true,  in  1758;  but  is  not  true  for  1845.— 
EDITOR. 


SATANSTOE. 

answer  before  the  lady  is  ready  to  give  it.  Men  must  learn 
to  wait." 

"  She  really  seems  to  know  all  about  it,  Corny  !  Much 
as  I  have  heard  of  this  woman,  she  exceeds  it  all!  Good 
Mother,  can  you  tell  me  how  I  can  gain  the  consent  of  the 
woman  I  love  ?" 

"  That  is  only  to  be  had  by  asking.  Ask  once,  ask  twice, 
ask  thrice." 

"By  St.  Nicholas!  I  have  asked,  already,  twenty  times! 
If  asking  would  do  it,  she  would  have  been  my  wife  a  month 
since.  What  do  you  think,  Corny — no,  I  '11  not  do  it — it  is 
not  manly  to  get  the  secrets  of  a  woman's  heart,  by  means 
like  these — I  Ml  not  ask  her.'" 

"  The  crown  is  paid,  and  the  truth  must  be  said.  The 
lady  you  love,  loves  you,  and  she  does  not  love  you ;  she 
will  have  you,  and  she  won't  have  you  ;  she  thinks  yes,  and 
she  says  wo." 

Guert  now  trembled  all  over,  like  an  aspen-leaf. 

"  I  do  not  believe  there  is  any  harm,  Corny,  in  asking 
whether  I  gained  or  lost  by  the  affair  of  the  river?  I  will 
ask  her  that  much,  of  a  certainty.  Tell  me,  Mother,  am  I 
better  or  worse,  for  a  certain  thing  that  happened  about  a 
month  ago — about  the  time  that  the  ice  went,  and  that  we 
had  a  great  freshet?" 

"  Guert  Ten  Eyck,  why  do  you  try  me  thus  ?"  demanded 
the  fortune-teller,  solemnly.  "  I  knew  your  father,  and  I 
knew  your  mother ;  I  knew  your  ancestors  in  Holland,  and 
their  children  in  America.  Generations  on  generations  have 
I  known  your  people,  and  you  are  the  first  that  I  have  seen 
so  ill-clad !  Do  you  suppose,  boy,  that  old  Doortje's  eyes 
are  getting  dim,  and  that  she  cannot  tell  her  own  nation? 
I  saw  you  on  the  river — ha  !  ha  !  't  was  a  pleasant  sight — 
Jack  and  and  Moses,  too ;  how  they  snorted,  and  how  they 
galloped  1  Crack — crack — that 's  the  ice — there  comes  the 
water ! — See,  that  bridge  may  hit  you  on  the  head  !  Do  you 
take  care  of  this  bird,  and  do  you  take  care  of  that — and 
all  will  come  round  with  the  seasons.  Answer  me  one  thing, 
Guert  Ten  Eyck,  and  answer  me  truly.  Know  you  ever  a 
young  man  who  goes  quickly  into  the  bush?" 

"  I  do,  Mother ;  this  young  man,  my  friend,  intends  to  go 
in  a  few  days,  or  as  soon  as  the  weather  is  settled." 


280  SATANSTOE.  $ 

"  Good !  go  you  with  him  —  absence  makes  a  young 
woman  know  her  own  mind,  when  asking  will  gain  nothing. 
Go  you  with  him,  1  say ;  and  if  you  hear  muskets  fired, 
go  near  them  ;  fear  will  sometimes  make  a  young  woman 
speak.  You  have  your  answer,  and  I  will  tell  no  more. 
Come  hither,  young  owner  of  many  half-joes,  and  touch  that 
card." 

"  I  did  as  ordered ;  when  the  woman  began  to  mumble  to 
herself,  and  to  run  over  the  pack  as  rapidly  as  she  could. 
Kings,  aces,  and  knaves  were  examined,  one  after  another, 
until  she  had  got  the  Queen  of  Hearts  in  her  hand,  which 
she  held  up  to  me  in  triumph. 

"  That  is  your  lady.  She  is  a  queen  of  too  many  hearts  ! 
The  Hudson  did  that  for  you,  that  it  has  done  for  many  a 
poor  man  before  you.  Yes,  yes ;  the  river  did  you  good  ; 
but  water  will  drown,  as  well  as  make  tears.  Do  you  be 
ware  of  Knights  Barrownights  !"* 

Here  Mother  Doortje  came  to  a  dead  stand  in  her  com 
munications,  and  not  another  syllable  of  any  sort  could 
either  of  us  get  from  her ;  though,  between  us,  as  many  as 
twenty  questions  were  asked.  Signs  were  made  for  us  to 
depart;  and  when  the  woman  found  our  reluctance,  she  laid 
a  crown  for  each  of  us,  on  the  table,  with  a  dignified  air, 
and  went  into  a  corner,  seated  herself,  and  began  to  rock 
her  body,  like  one  impatient  of  our  presence.  After  so  un 
equivocal  a  sign  that  she  considered  her  work  as  done,  we 
could  not  well  do  less  than  return ;  leaving  the  money  be 
hind  us,  as  a  matter  of  course. 

*  In  the  colony  of  New  York,  there  lived  but  one  titled  man,  for  a 
considerable  period.  It  was  the  celebrated  Sir  William  Johnson, 
Bart.,  of  Johnson  Hall,  Johnstown,  Albany,  now  Fulton  County. 
The  son  of  Sir  William  Johnson  was  knighted  during  his  father's 
life-time,  and  was  Sir  John  while  Sir  William  was  living.  At  the 
death  of  his  father,  he  was  Sir  John  Johnson,  Kt.  &  Bart. ;  and  it 
was  usual  for  the  common  class  of  people  to  style  him  a  Knight,  or 
Barrownig-A*.  —  EDITOR. 


SATANSTOB.  281 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Virtue,  how  frail  it  is ! 

Friendship,  too  rare  ! 
Love,  how  it  sells  poor  bliss 

For  proud  despair  ! 

But  we,  though  soon  they  fall, 

Survive  their  joy,  and  all 

Which  ours  we  call. 

SHLLLIT. 

GUERT  TEN  EYCK  was  profoundly  impressed  with  what 
he  had  heard,  in  his  visit  to  the  fortune-teller.  It  affected 
his  spirits,  and,  as  will  be  seen,  it  influenced  all  his  subse 
quent  conduct.  As  for  myself,  I  will  not  say  that  I  totally 
disregarded  what  had  passed;  though  the  effect  was  greatly 
less  on  me,  than  it  was  on  my  friend.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Wor- 
den,  however,  treated  the  matter  with  great  disdain.  He 
declared  that  he  had  never  before  been  so  insulted  in  his  life. 
The  old  hag,  no  doubt,  had  seen  us  all  before,  and  recog 
nised  him.  Profiting  by  a  knowledge  of  this  sort — that  was 
very  easily  obtained  in  a  place  of  the  size  of  Albany — she 
had  taken  the  occasion  to  make  the  most  of  the  low  gossip 
that  had  been  circulated  at  his  expense.  "  Loping  Dominie, 
indeed,"  he  added ;  "as  if  any  man  would  not  run  to  save 
his  life !  You  saw  how  it  was  with  the  river,  Corny,  when 
it  once  began  to  break  up,  and  know  that  my  escape  was 
marvellous.  I  deserve  as  much  credit  for  that  retreat,  boy, 
as  Xenophon  did  for  his  retreat  with  the  Ten  Thousand.  It 
is  true,  1  had  not  thirty-four  thousand,  six  hundred  and  fifty 
stadia  to  retreat  over ;  but  acts  are  to  be  estimated  more  by 
quality,  than  by  quantity.  The  best  things  are  always  of 
an  impromptu  character  ;  and,  generally,  they  are  on  a  small 
scale.  Then,  as  for  all  you  tell  me  about  Guert ;  why,  the 
hussy  knew  him — must  have  known  him,  in  a  town  like 
Albany,  where  the  fellow  has  a  character  that  identifies  him 
with  all  sorts  of  fun  and  roguery.  Jack,  and  Moses,  loo! 
Do  you  think  the  inspiration  of  even  an  evil  spirit,  or  of 
forty  thousand  devils,  would  lead  a  fortune-teller  to  name 
24* 


282  SATANSTOE. 

any  horse  Moses  1  Jack  might  do,  perhaps ;  but  Moses 
would  never  enter  the  head  of  even  an  imp  !  Remember, 
lad,  Moses  was  the  great  law-giver  of  the  Jews ;  and  such  a 
creature  would  be  as  apt  to  suppose  a  horse  .was  named 
Confucius,  as  to  suppose  he  was  named  Moses !" 

"  I  suppose  the  inspiration,  as  you  call  it,  sir,  would  lead 
a  clever  fortune-teller  to  give  things  as  they  are ;  and  to 
call  the  horses  by  their  real  names,  let  them  be  what  they 
might." 

"Ay,  such  inspiration  as  this  miserable,  old,  wrinkled., 
impudent  she-devil  enjoys  !  Don't  tell  me,  Corny  ;  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  fortune-telling ;  at  least,  nothing  that  can 
be  depended  on  in  all  cases — and  this  is  one  of  downright 
imposition.  *  Loping  Dominie,'  forsooth  !" 

Such  were  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden's  sentiments  on  the  sub 
ject  of  Mother  Doortje's  revelations.  He  exacted  a  pledge 
from  us  all,  to  say  nothing  about  the  matter ;  nor  were  we 
much  disposed  to  be  communicative  on  the  subject.  As  for 
Guert,  Dirck,  Jason,  and  myself,  we  did  not  hesitate  to  con 
verse  on  the  circumstances  of  our  visits,  among  ourselves, 
however;  and  each  and  all  of  us  viewed  the  matter  some 
what  differently  from  our  Mentor.  I  ascertained  that  Jason 
had  been  highly  gratified  with  what  had  been  predicted  on 
his  own  behalf;  for  what  was  wealth  in  his  eyes  had  been 
foretold  as  his  future  lot ;  and  a  man  rarely  quarrels  with 
good  fortune,  whether  in  prospective,  or  in  possession.  Dirck, 
Though  barely  twenty,  began  to  talk  of  living  a  single  life 
from  this  time;  and  no  laughter  of  mine  could  induce  the 
poor  lad  to  change  his  views,  or  to  entertain  livelier  hopes. 
Guert  was  deeply  impressed,  as  has  been  said  ;  and  feeling 
no  restraint  in  the  matter  of  his  own  case,  he  took  occasion 
to  speak  of  his  visit  to  the  woman,  one  morning  that  Herman 
Mordaunt,  the  two  ladies,  Bulstrode,  and  myself,  were  sitting 
together,  chatting,  in  the  freedom  of  what  had  now  become 
a  very  constant  intercourse. 

"Are  such  things  as  fortune-tellers  known  in  England, 
Mr.  Bulstrode?"  Guert  abruptly  commenced,  fastening  his 
eyes  on  Mary  Wallace,  as  he  asked  the  question ;  for  on 
her  were  his  thoughts  running  at  the  time. 

"All  sorts  of  silly  things  are  to  be  found  in  Old  England, 
Mr.  Ten  Eyck,  as  well  as  some  that  are  wise.  I  believe 


SATANSTOE  283 

London  has  one  or  two  soothsayers ;  and  I  think  I  have 
heard  elderly  people  say  that  the  fashion  of  consulting  them 
has  somewhat  increased,  since  the  court  has  been  so  German." 

"  Yes,"  Guert  innocently  replied  ;  "  I  find  it  easy  to  be 
lieve  that ;  for,  it  is  a  common  saying,  among  our  people, 
that  the  German  and  Low  Dutch  fortune-tellers  are  the  best 
known.  They  have  had,  or  pretend  to  have  had,  witches 
in  New  England ;  but  no  one,  hereabouts,  puts  any  faith  in 
the  pretence.  It  is  like  all  the  bragging  of  these  boastful 
Yankees !" 

I  observed  that  Mary  Wallace's  colour  deepened  ;  and 
that,  in  biting  off  a  thread,  she  profited,  by  the  occasion,  to 
avert  her  face  in  such  a  manner,  that  Bulstrode,  in  particu 
lar,  could  not  see  it. 

"  The  meaning  of  all  this,"  put  in  Major  Bulstrode 
"  is,  that  our  friend  Guert  has  been  to  pay  a  visit  to  Mothei 
Doortje's ;  a  woman  of  some  note,  who  lives  on  the  hill, 
and  who  has  a  reputation,  in  that  way,  among  these  good 
Albanians!  Several  of  our  mess  have  been  to  see  the  old 
woman." 

"  It  is,  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  Guert  answered,  in  his  manly 
way,  and  with  a  gravity  which  proved  how  much  he  was  in 
earnest.  "  I  have  been  to  see  Mother  Doortje,  for  the  first 
time  in  my  life ;  and  Corny  Littlepage,  here,  was  my  com 
panion.  Long  as  I  have  known  the  woman  by  reputation, 
I  have  never  had  any  curiosity  to  pay  her  a  visit,  until  this 
spring.  We  have  been,  however ;  and,  I  must  say,  I  have 
been  greatly  surprised  at  the  extent  of  the  knowledge  of  this 
very  extraordinary  person." 

"  Did  she  tell  you  to  look  into  the  sweetmeat-pot,  for  the 
lost  spoon,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,"  Anneke  inquired,  with  an  arch 
ness  of  eye  and  voice,  that  sent  the  blood  to  my  own  face, 
in  confusion.  "  They  say,  that  fortune-tellers  send  all  pru 
dent,  yet  careless  housewives,  to  the  sweetmeat-pots,  to  look 
for  the  lost  spoons  !  Many  have  been  found,  I  hear,  by  this 
wonderful  prescience." 

"  Well,  Miss  Anneke,  I  see,  you  have  no  faith,"  answered 
Guert,  fidgeting ;  "  and  people  who  have  no  faith,  never 
believe.  Notwithstanding,  I  put  so  much  confidence  in 
what  Doortje  has  told  me,  that  I  intend  to  follow  her  advice 
let  matters  turn  out  as  they  may." 


284  SATANSTOE. 

Here  Mary  Wallace  raised  her  thoughtful,  full,  blue  eyes 
to  the  face  of  the  young  man  ;  and  they  expressed  an  intense 
interest,  rather  than  any  light  curiosity,  that  even  her  wo 
man's  instinct  and  woman's  sensitiveness  could  not  so  far 
prevail,  as  to  enable  her  to  conceal.  Still,  Mary  Wallace 
did  not  speak,  leaving  the  others  present  to  maintain  the 
discourse. 

"  Of  course,  you  mean  to  tell  us  all  about  it,  Ten  Eyck," 
cried  the  Major ;  "  there  is  nothing  more  likely  to  succeed, 
with  an  audience,  than  a  good  history  of  witchcraft,  or  some 
thing  so  very  marvellous,  as  to  do  violence  to  common  sense, 
before  we  give  it  our  faith." 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Bulstrode  ;  these  are  things  I  cannot 
well  mention;  though,  Corny  Littlepage  will  testify,  that 
they  are  very  wonderful.  At  any  rate,  I  shall  go  into  the 
bush,  this  spring  ;  and  Littlepage  and  Pollock,  being  excel 
lent  companions,  I  propose  to  join  their  company.  It  will 
be  late,  before  the  army  will  be  ready  to  move  ;  and,  by  that 
time,  all  three  of  us  propose  to  join  you  before  Ticonderoga  ; 
if,  indeed,  you  succeed  in  getting  so  far," 

"  Say,  rather,  in  front  of  Montreal ;  for,  I  trust,  this  new 
Commander-In-Chief  will  find  something  more  for  us  to  do, 
than  the  last  one  did.  Shall  I  have  a  sentinel  placed  at 
Doortje's  door,  in  your  absence,  Guert?" 

The  smile,  this  question  produced,  was  general ;  Guert, 
himself,  joining  in  it ;  for  his  good-nature  was  of  proof. 
When  I  say  the  smile  was  general,  however,  I  ought  to  ex 
cept  Mary  Wallace,  who  smiled  little,  that  morning. 

"  We  shall  be  neighbours,  then,"  Herman  Mordaunt 
quietly  observed  ;  "  that  is  to  say,  if  you  mean,  by  accom 
panying  Corny  and  Dirck  to  the  bush,  you  intend  to  go 
with  them  to  the  patent,  lately  obtained  by  Messrs.  Little- 
page  and  Van  Valkenburgh.  I  have  an  estate,  in  that 
quarter,  which  is  now  ten  years  old  ;  and  these  ladies  have 
consented  to  accompany  me  thither,  as  soon  as  the  weather 
is  a  little  more  settled,  and  I  can  be  assured  that  our  army 
will  be  of  sufficient  force  to  protect  us  from  the  French  and 
Indians." 

It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  say  with  what  delight  Guert 
and  I  heard  this  announcement !  On  Bulstrode,  however,  it 
produced  an  exactly  contrary  effect.  He  did  not  appear,  to 


SATANSTOE.  285 

me,  to  be  surprised,  at  a  declaration  that  was  so  new  to 
us ;  but  several  expressions  fell  from  him,  that  showed  he 
had  no  idea  the  two  estates,  that  of  Herman  Mordaurit's,  and 
that  which  belonged  to  us,  lay  so  near  together.  It  was  by 
means  of  his  questions,  indeed,  that  I  learned  the  real  facts 
of  the  case.  It  appeared  that  Herman  Mordaunt's  business, 
in  Albany,  was  to  make  some  provisions  in  behalf  of  this 
property,  on  which  he  had  caused  mills  to  be  erected,  and 
some  of  the  other  improvements  of  a  new  settlement,  to  be 
made,  two  or  three  years  before ;  and  which,  by  the  pro 
gress  and  events  of  the  war,  was  getting  to  be  in  closer  prox 
imity  to  the  enemy,  than  was  desirable.  Even  where  the 
French  lay,  at  Ticonderoga,  his  mills,  in  particular,  might 
be  thought  in  some  danger,  though  forty  or  more  miles  dis 
tant  ;  for  parties  of  savages,  led  on  by  white  men,  frequently 
marched  that  distance  through  the  forests,  in  order  to  break 
up  a  settlement  and  to  commit  depredations.  But  the  enemy 
had  crossed  Lake  George,  the  previous  summer,  and  had 
actually  taken  Fort  William  Henry,  at  its  southern  extre 
mity,  by  siege.  It  is  true,  this  was  the  extent  of  their  in 
road  ;  and,  it  was  now  known,  that  they  had  abandoned 
this  bold  conquest,  and  had  fallen  back  upon  Ty  and  Crown 
Point,  two  of  the  strongest  military  positions  in  the  British 
colonies.  Still,  Ravensnest,  as  Herman  Mordaunt's  pro 
perty  was  called,  was  far  from  being  beyond  the  limits  of 
sorties ;  and  the  residence,  at  Albany,  was  solely  to  watch 
the  progress  of  events  in  that  quarter,  and  to  be  near  the 
scene.  If  he  had  any  public  employment,  it  remained  a 
profound  mystery.  A  new  source  of  embarrassment  had 
arisen,  however ;  and  this  it  was  that  decided  the  proprietor 
to  visit  his  lands  in  person.  The  fifteen  or  twenty  families 
he  had  succeeded  in  establishing  on  the  estate,  at  much  cost 
and  trouble,  had  taken  the  alarm  at  the  prospect  of  a  cam 
paign  in  their  vicinity ;  and  had  announced  an  intention  of 
abandoning  their  huts  and  clearings,  as  the  course  most 
expedient  for  the  times.  Two  or  three  had  already  gone 
off*  towards  the  Hampshire  Grants,  whence  they  had  origi 
nally  come ;  profiting  by  the  last  of  the  snow ;  and,  it  was 
feared,  that  others  might  imitate  their  caution. 

Herman  Mordaunt  saw  no  necessity  for  this  abandonment 
of  advantages  over  the  wilderness,  that  had  been  obtained 


286  SATANSTOE. 

at  so  much  cost  and  trouble.  The  laboui  of  a  removal, 
and  a  return,  was  sufficient,  of  itself,  to  give  a  new  direction 
to  the  movements  of  his  settlers  ;  and,  as  their  first  entrance 
into  the  country  had  been  effected  through  his  agency,  and 
aided  by  his  means,  he  naturally  wished  to  keep  the  people 
he  had  got  to  his  estate  with  so  much  difficulty,  and  at  so 
much  cost,  at  their  several  positions,  as  long,  at  least,  as  he 
conceived  it  to  be  prudent.  In  these  circumstances,  there 
fore,  he  had  determined  to  visit  Ravensnest  in  person,  and 
to  pass  a  part,  if  not  most  of  the  summer,  among  his  people. 
This  would  give  them  confidence,  and  would  enable  him  to 
infuse  new  life  into  their  operations.  It  would  seem,  that 
Anneke  and  Mary  Wallace  had  refused  to  let  Mr.  Mordaunt 
go  alone ;  and,  believing,  himself,  there  was  no  danger  in 
the  course  he  was  about  to  take,  the  father  and  guardian, 
for  Mary  Wallace  was  Herman  Mordaunt's  ward,  had 
yielded  to  the  importunities  of  the  two  girls  ;  and  it  had  been 
formally  decided  that  they  were  all  to  proceed  together,  as 
soon  as  the  season  should  get  to  be  a  little  more  advanced. 
Intelligence  of  this  intention  had  been  sent  to  the  settlers; 
and  its  effect  was  to  induce  them  to  remain  at  their  posts,  by 
pacifying  their  fears. 

I  might  as  well  add,  here,  what  I  learned  subsequently, 
in  the  due  course  of  events.  Bulstrode  had  been  made  ac 
quainted  with  Herman  Mordaunt's  plans,  they  being  sworn 
friends,  and  the  latter  warmly  in  the  interest  of  the  former's 
suit ;  and  he  had  known  how  to  profit  by  the  information. 
It  was  now  time  to  put  the  troops  in  motion ;  and  several 
parties  had  already  marched  towards  the  north,  taking  post 
at  different  points  that  it  was  thought  desirable  to  occupy, 
previously  to  the  commencement  of  the  campaign.  Among 
other  corps  under  orders  of  this  nature,  was  that  commanded 
by  Bulstrode  ;  and  he  had  sufficient  interest,  at  head-quar 
ters,  to  get  it  sent  to  the  point  nearest  to  Ravensnest ;  where 
it  gave  him  the  double  advantage,  of  having  it  in  his  power 
to  visit  the  ladies,  on  occasion,  while,  at  the  same  time,  he 
must  appear,  to  them,  somewhat  in  the  character  of  a  pro 
tector.  The  object  of  Dirck  and  myself,  in  visiting  the 
north,  was  no  secret ;  and,  it  was  generally  understood,  that 
\ve  were  to  go  to  Mooseridge ;  but  we  did  not  know,  our 
selves,  that  Herman  Mordaunt  had  an  estate  so  near  us. 


SA.TANSTOE.  287 

This  intelligence,  as  has  been  said,  I  now  ascertained,  was 
as  new  to  Bulstrode  as  it  was  to  myself. 

The  knowledge  of  many  little  things  I  have  just  men. 
tioned,  was  obtained  by  me  only  at  intervals,  and  by  means 
of  observation  and  discourse.  Nevertheless,  the  main  points 
were  determined  on  the  morning  on  which  Guert  referred  to 
his  visit  to  the  fortune-teller,  and  in  the  manner  named. 
The  conversation  lasted  an  hour;  nor  did  it  cease,  until  all 
present,  got  a  general  idea  of  the  course  intended  to  be  pur 
sued  by  the  different  parties  present,  during  the  succeeding 
summer. 

It  happened,  that  morning,  that  Bulstrode,  Dirck,  and 
Guert  withdrew  together,  the  two  last  to  look  at  a  horse  the 
former  had  just  purchased,  leaving  me  alone  with  the  young 
ladies.  No  sooner  was  the  door  closed  on  the  retiring 
members  of  our  party,  than  I  saw  a  smile  struggling  about 
the  handsome  mouth  of  Anneke;  Mary  Wallace  continuing 
the  whole  time  thoughtful^  if  not  sad. 

"And  you  were  of  the  party  at  the  fortune-teller's,  too,  it 
seems,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  Anneke  remarked,  after  appearing 
to  be  debating  with  herself  on  the  propriety  of  proceeding 
any  farther  in  the  subject.  "  I  knew  there  was  such  a  pei 
son  in  Albany,  and  that  thrifty  housekeepers  did  sometimes 
consult  her ;  but  I  was  ignorant  that  men,  and  educated  men, 
paid  her  that  honour." 

"  I  believe  there  is  no  exception  in  the  way  of  sex  or 
learning,  to  her  influence,  or  her  authority.  They  tell  me 
that  most  of  the  younger  officers  of  the  army  visit  her, 
while  they  remain  here." 

"  I  would  much  like  to  know  if  Mr.  Bulstrode  has  been 
of  the  number !  He  is  young  enough  in  years,  though  so 
high  in  rank.  A  major  may  have  as  much  curiosity  as  an 
ensign ;  or,  as  it  may  appear,  dear  Mary,  of  a  woman  who 
has  lost  her  grandmother's  favourite  dessert-spoon." 

Mary  Wallace  gave  a  gentle  sigh,  and  she  even  raised 
her  eyes  from  her  work  ;  still,  she  made  no  answer. 

"  You  are  severe  on  us,  Anneke ;"  for,  since  the  affair  on 
the  river,  the  whole  family  treated  me  with  the  familiarity 
of  a  son  or  a  brother — "  1  fancy  we  have  done  no  more  than 
Mr.  Mordaunt  has  done  in  his  day." 

"  This  may  be  very  true,  Corny,  and  not  make  the  con 


288  SATANSTOK 

eultation  the  wisest  thing  in  nature.     I  hope,  however,  yo 
do  not  keep  your  fortune  a  secret,  but  let  your  friends  share 
in  your  knowledge !" 

"  To  me  the  woman  was  far  from  being  communicative, 
though  she  treated  Guert  Ten  Eyck  better.  Certainly,  she 
told  him  many  extraordinary  things,  of  the  past  even  ;  unless, 
indeed,  she  knew  who  he  was." 

"Is  it  probable,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  said  Mary  Wallace, 
"  that  any  person  in  Albany  should  not  know  Guert  Ten 
Eyck,  and  a  good  deal  of  his  past  history  7  Poor  Guert 
makes  himself  known  wherever  he  is !" 

"  And,  often  much  to  his  advantage,"  I  added — a  remark 
that  cost  me  nothing ;  but  which  caused  Mary  Wallace's 
face  to  brighten,  and  even  brought  a  faint  smile  to  her  lips. 
"All  that  is  true  ;  yet  there  was  something  wild  and  unnatural 
in  the  woman's  manner,  as  she  told  these  things !" 

"All  of  which  you  seem  determined  to  keep  to  yourself?" 
observed  Anneke,  as  one  asks  a  Question. 

"  It  would  hardly  do  to  betray  a  friend's  secrets.  Let 
Guert  answer  for  himself;  he  is  as  frank  as  broad  day,  and 
will  not  hesitate  about  letting  you  know  all." 

"  I  wish  Corny  Littlepage  were  only  as  frank  as  twilight !" 

"  I  have  nothing  to  conceal — and  least  of  all  from  you, 
Anneke.  The  fortune-teller  told  me  that  the  queen  of  my 
heart  was  the  queen  of  too  many  hearts ,-  that  the  river  had 
done  me  no  harm;  and  that  I  must  particularly  beware  of 
what  she  called  Knights-Barrowni^A/s." 

I  watched  Anneke  closely,  as  I  repeated  this  warning  of 
Mother  Doortje ;  but  could  not  read  the  expression  of  her 
sweet  and  thoughtful  countenance.  She  neither  smiled  nor 
frowned  ;  but  she  certainly  blushed.  Of  course,  she  did  not 
look  at  me — for  that  would  have  been  to  challenge  observa 
tion.  Mary  Wallace,  however,  did  smile,  and  she  did  look 
at  me. 

"You  believe  all  the  wizzard  told  you,  Corny?"  said 
Anneke,  after  a  short  pause. 

"  I  believed  that  the  queen  of  my  heart  was  the  queen  of 
many  hearts ;  that  the  river  had  done  me  no  harm — though 
I  could  not  say,  or  see,  that  it  had  done  me  much  good ;  and 
*hat  I  had  much  to  fear  from  Knights-Barrownigto.  I 


SATANSTOE.  289 

believed  all  this,   however,  before  I  ever  saw  the  fortune 
teller." 

The  next  remark  that  was  made  came  from  Anneke,  and 
it  referred  to  the  weather.  The  season  was  opening  finely, 
and  fast  ,•  and  it  could  not  be  long  before  the  great  move 
ments  of  the  year  must  commence.  Several  regiments  had 
arrived  in  the  colonies,  and  various  officers  of  note  and  rank 
had  accompanied  them.  Among  others  Who  had  thus  crossed 
the  Atlantic  for  the  first  time,  was  my  Lord  Howe,  a  young 
soldier  of  whom  fame  spoke  favourably,  and  from  whom 
much  was  expected  in  the  course  of  the  anticipated  service 
of  the  year.  While  we  were  talking  over  these  things, 
Herman  Mordaunt  re-entered  the  room,  after  a  short  absence, 
and  he  took  me  with  him  to  examine  his  preparations  for 
transporting  the  ladies  to  Ravensnest.  As  we  went  along,  the 
discourse  was  maintained,  and  I  learned  many  things  from 
my  older  and  intelligent  companion,  that  were  new  to  me. 

"  New  lords,  new  laws,  they  say,  Corny,"  continued 
Herman  Mordaunt ;  "  and  this  Mr.  Pitt,  the  great  commoner, 
as  some  persons  call  him,  is  bent  on  making  the  British 
empire  feel  the  truth  of  the  axiom.  Everything  is  alive  in 
the  colonies,  and  the  sluggish  period  of  Lord  Loudon's  com 
mand  is  passed.  Gen.  Abercrombie,  an  officer  from  whom 
much  is  expected,  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  King's  troops, 
and  there  is  every  prospect  of  an  active  and  most  important 
campaign.  The  disgraces  of  the  few  last  years  must  be 
wiped  out,  and  the  English  name  be  made  once  more  to  be 
dreaded  on  this  continent.  The  Lord  Howe  of  whom  An 
neke  spoke,  is  said  to  be  a  young  man  of  merit,  and  to  pos 
sess  the  blood  of  our  Hanoverian  monarchs ;  his  mother 
being  a  half-sister,  in  the  natural  way,  of  his  present  Ma 
jesty." 

Herman  Mordaunt  then  spoke  more  fully  of  his  own 
plans  for  the  summer — expressed  his  happiness  at  knowing 
that  Dirck  and  myself  were  to  be  what  he  called  his  neigh 
bours — though,  on  a  more  exact  computation,  it  was  ascer 
tained,  that  the  nearest  boundaries  of  the  two  patents,  that 
of  Ravensnest,  and  that  of  Mooseridge,  lay  quite  fourteen 
miles  apart,  with  a  dense  and  virgin  forest  between  them. 
Nevertheless,  this  would  be  making  us  neighbours,  in  a 
certain  sense;  as  gentlemen  always  call  men  of  their  own 
25 


290  SATANSTOE. 

class  neighbours,  when  they  live  within  visiting  distance,  of 
near  enough  to  be  seen  once  or  twice  in  a  year.  And  such 
men  are  neighbours,  in  the  sense  that  is  most  essential  to 
the  term — they  know  each  other  better ;  understand  each 
other  better;  sympathize  more  freely;  have  more  of  the 
intercourse  that  makes  us  judges  of  motives,  principles,  and 
character,  twenty-fold,  than  he  who  lives  at  the  gate,  and 
merely  sees  the  owner  of  the  grounds  pass  in  and  out,  on 
his  daily  avocations.  There  is,  and  can  be  no  greater  ab 
surdity,  than  to  imagine  that  the  sheer  neighbourhood,  or 
proximity  of  position,  makes  men  acquainted.  That  was 
one  of  Jason  Newcome's  Connecticut  notions.  Having  been 
educated  in  a  state  of  society  in  which  all  associated  on  a 
certain  footing  of  intimacy,  and  in  which  half  the  difficulties 
that  occurred  were  "  told  to  the  church,"  he  was  for  ever 
fancying  he  knew  all  the  gentry  of  Westchester,  because  he 
had  lived  a  year  or  two  in  the  county ;  when,  in  fact,  he  had 
never  spoken  to  one  in  a  dozen  of  them.  I  never  could 
drive  this  notion  out  of  his  head,  however  ;  for  looking  often 
at  a  man,  or  occasionally  exchanging  a  bow  with  him  on 
the  highway,  he  would  insist  was  knowing  him,  or  what  he 
called,  being  "  well  acquainted ;"  a  very  favourite  expres 
sion  of  the  Danbury  man's  ;  though  their  sympathies,  habits, 
opinions,  and  feelings,  created  so  vast  a  void  between  the 
parties,  they  hardly  understood  each  other's  terms,  and  or 
dinary  language,  when  they  did  begin  to  converse,  as  some 
times  happened.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  Jason  insisted  to 
the  last  that  he  knew  every  gentleman  in  the  county,  whom 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  hear  alluded  to  in  discourse,  and 
when  he  had  seen  them  once  or  twice,  though  it  were  only 
at  church.  But  Jason  had  a  very  flattering  notion,  gene 
rally,  of  his  own  acquisitions  on  all  subjects. 

Herman  Mordaunt  had  made  careful  provision  for  the 
contemplated  journey ;  having  caused  a  covered  vehicle  to 
be  constructed,  that  could  transport  not  only  himself  and 
the  ladies,  but  many  articles  of  furniture  that  would  be  re 
quired  during  their  residence  in  the  forest.  Another  con 
veyance,  strong,  spacious,  and  covered,  was  also  prepared 
for  the  blacks,  and  another  portion  of  the  effects.  He 
pointed  out  all  these  arrangements  to  me  with  great  satis 
faction,  dwelling  on  the  affection  and  spirit  of  the  girls  with 


SATANSTOE.  201 

a  pleasure  he  did  not  affect  to  conceal.  For  my  own  part, 
I  have  always  been  of  opinion,  that  Anneke  was  solely  in 
fluenced  by  pure,  natural  regard,  in  forming  her  indiscreet 
resolution ;  while  her  father  was  governed  by  the  secret  ex 
pectation  that  the  movement  would  leave  open  the  means  of 
receiving  visits  and  communications  from  Bulstrode,  during 
most  of  the  summer.  I  commended  the  arrangements,  made 
one  or  two  suggestions  of  my  own  in  behalf  of  Anneke  and 
Mary,  and  we  returned  to  our  several  homes. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  visit  to  the  workshops,  and  the 

conversation  related,  the th  took  up  its  line  of  march 

for  the  north.  The  troops  defiled  through  the  narrow  streets 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  barracks,  half  an  hour  after 
the  appearance  of  the  sun,  preceded  and  followed  by  a  long 
train  of  baggage-wagons.  They  marched  without  tents, 
however,  it  being  well  understood  that  they  were  going  into 
a  region  where  the  axe  could  at  any  time  cover  thousands 
of  men,  in  about  the  time  that  a  camp  could  be  laid  out, 
and  the  canvass  spread.  Hutting  was  the  usual  mode  of 
placing  an  army  under  cover  in  the  forest ;  and  a  dozen 
marches  would  take  the  battalion  to  the  point  where  it  was 
intended  it  should  remain,  as  a  support  to  two  or  three  other 
corps  still  further  in  advance,  and  to  keep  open  the  commu- 
nications. 

Bulstrode,  however,  did  not  quit  Albany  in  company  with 
his  regiment.  I  had  been  invited,  with  Guert  and  Dirck,  to 
breakfast  at  Herman  Mordaunt's  that  morning ;  and,  as  we 
approached  the  door,  I  saw  the  Major's  groom  walking  his 
own  and  his  master's  horse,  in  the  street,  near  by.  This 
was  a  sign  we  were  to  have  the  pleasure  of  Bulstrode's  com 
pany  at  breakfast.  Accordingly,  on  entering  the  room,  we 
found  him  present,  in  the  uniform  of  an  officer  of  his  rank, 
about  to  commence  a  march  in  the  forests  of  America.  I 
thought  him  melancholy,  as  if  sad  at  parting ;  but  my  most 
jealous  observation  could  detect  no  sign  of  similar  feeling 
on  the  part  of  Anneke.  She  was  not  quite  as  gay  as  usual, 
but  she  was  far  from  being  sad. 

"  I  leave  you,  ladies,  with  the  deepest  regret,"  said  Bui- 
strode,  while  at  table,  "  for  you  have  made  this  country 
more  than  a  home  to  me — you  have  rendered  it  dear" 

This  was  said  with  feeling ;  more  than  I  had  ever  seen 


292  SATANSTOE. 

Bulstrode  manifest  before,  and  more  than  I  had  given  him 
credit  for  possessing.  Anneke  coloured  a  little  ;  but  there 
was  no  tremor  in  the  beautiful  hand,  that  held  a  highly- 
wrought  little  tea-pot  suspended  over  a  cup,  at  that  very 
moment. 

"  We  shall  soon  meet  again,  Harry,"  Herman  Mordaunt 
remarked,  in  a  tone  of  strong  affection ;  "  for,  our  party  will 
not  be  a  week  behind  you.  Remember,  we  are  to  be  good 
neighbours,  as  well  as  neighbours ;  and,  if  the  mountain 
will  not  come  to  Mahomet,  Mahomet  must  go  to  the  moun 
tain." 

"  Which  means,  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  said  Mary  Wallace,  with 
one  of  her  sweet  smiles,  and  one  that  was  as  open  and  na 
tural  as  childhood  itself,  "  that  you  are  Mahomet,  and  we 
are  the  mountain.  Ladies  can  neither  travel,  with  comfort, 
in  a  wilderness,  nor  visit  a  camp,  with  propriety,  if  they 
would." 

"  They  tell  me,  I  shall  not  be  in  a  camp  at  all,"  answered 
the  soldier ;  "  but  in  good,  comfortable  log-barracks,  that 
have  been  built  for  us  by  the  battalion  we  relieve.  I  am 
not  without  hopes,  they  will  be  such  as  even  ladies  will  not 
disdain  to  use,  on  an  emergency.  There  ought  to  be  no 
Mahomet,  and  no  mountain,  between  such  old  and  intimate 
friends." 

The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  plans  and  expecta 
tions  of  the  respective  parties ;  and  the  usual  promises  were 
made,  of  being  sociable  and  good  neighbours,  as  had  just 
been  suggested.  Herman  Mordaunt  evidently  wished  to 
consider  Bulstrode  as  one  of  his  family  ;  a  feeling  that  might 
excuse  itself  to  the  world,  on  the  score  of  consanguinity  ; 
but  which,  it  was  easy  enough,  for  me,  to  see,  had  its  origin 
in  a  very  different  cause.  When  Bulstrode  rose  to  take  his 
leave,  I  wished  myself  away,  on  account  of  the  exhibition 
of  concern  it  produced  ;  while  the  desire  to  watch  the  effect 
on  Anneke,  would  have  kept  me  rooted  to  the  floor,  even 
had  it  been  proper  that  I  should  retire. 

Bulstrode  was  more  affected  than  I  could  have  thought 
possible,  He  took  one  of  Herman  Mordaunt's  hands  into 
his  own,  and  pressed  it  warmly,  for  some  little  time,  before 
he  could  speak  at  all. 

"  God    only   knows  what  this  summer   is   to  see,  and 


SATANSTOE.  293 

whether  we  are  ever  to  meet  again,  or  not,"  he  then  said ; 
"  but,  come  what  may,  the  past,  the  happy  past,  is  so  much 
gained  from  the  commonplace.  If  you  never  hear  of  me 
again,  my  dear  kinsman,  my  letters  to  England  will  give 
you  a  better  account  of  my  gratitude,  than  anything  I  cs.n 
say  in  words.  They  have  been  written  as  your  kindnesses 
have  been  bestowed ;  and  they  faithfully  pourtray  the  feel 
ings  to  which  your  hospitality  and  friendship  have  given 
rise.  In  a  possible  event,  I  have  requested  that  every  one 
of  them  may  be  sent  to  America,  for  your  special  perusal — " 

"  Nay,  my  dear  Harry,  this  is  foreboding  the  very  worst," 
interrupted  Herman  Mordaunt,  dashing  a  tear  from  his  eye, 
"  and  is  making  a  very  short  separation,  a  more  serious 
matter  than  one  ought — " 

"  Nay,  sir,  a  soldier,  who  is  about  to  be  posted  within 
striking  distance  of  his  enemy,  can  never  speak,  with  confi 
dence,  of  separations  that  are  to  be  short.  This  campaign 
will  be  decisive,  for  me," — glancing  towards  Anneke — "  I 
must  return  a  conqueror,  in  one  sense,  or  I  do  not  wish  to 
return  at  all.  But,  God  bless  you,  Herman  Mordaunt,  as 
your  own  countrymen  call  you  ;  a  thousand  years  could  not 
efface  from  my  heart,  the  remembrance  of  all  your  kind 
ness." 

This  was  handsomely  expressed ;  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  was  uttered,  was  as  good  as  the  language*  Bui- 
strode  hesitated  a  moment — looked  at  the  two  girls  in  doubt 
— and  first  approached  Mary  Wallace. 

"Adieu,  excellent  Mary  Wallace,"  he  said,  taking  her 
offered  hand,  and  kissing  it  with  a  freedom  from  emotion, 
that  denoted  it  was  only  friendship  and  respect  which  in 
duced  the  act — "  I  believe,  you  are  a  severe  critic  on  Catos 
and  Scrubs ;  but,  I  forgive  all  your  particular  backbitings, 
on  account  of  your  general  indulgence  and  probity.  You 
may  meet  with  a  thousand  mere  acquaintances,  before  you 
find  another  who  shall  have  the  same  profound  respect  for 
your  many  virtues,  as  myself." 

This  was  handsomely  said,  too ;  and  it  caused  Mary  Wal 
lace  to  remove  the  handkerchief  from  her  eyes,  and  to  utter 
her  adieus  cordially,  and  with  some  emotion.  Strangers 
say  that  our  women  want  feeling — passion  ;  or,  if  they  have 
it,  that  it  is  veiled  behind  a  mask  of  coldness,  that  takes 
25* 


294  SATANSTOE. 

away  from  its  loveliness  and  warmth ;  that  they  are  girlish 
and  familiar,  where  they  might  better  be  reserved ;  and  dis 
tant,  and  unnatural,  where  feeling  and  nature  ought  to 
assert  their  sway.  That  they  have  less  manner,  in  all  re 
spects,  in  that  of  self-control,  and  perhaps  of  self-respect,  in 
their  ordinary  intercourse,  and  in  that  of  acting,  where  it 
may  seem  necessary  so  to  do,  I  believe  to  be  true ;  but,  he 
who  denies  an  American  girl  a  heart,  knows  nothing  about 
her.  She  is  all  heart ;  and  the  apparent  coldness  is  oftener 
the  consequence  of  not  daring  to  trust  her  feelings,  and  her 
general  dislike  to  everything  artificial,  than  to  any  want  of 
affections.  Two  girls,  educated,  however,  as  had  been 
Anneke  and  Mary  Wallace,  could  not  but  acquit  themselves 
better,  in  such  a  scene,  than  those  who  had  been  less  accu?- 
tomed  to  the  usages  of  polite  life,  which  are  always,  more  or 
less,  the  usages  of  convention. 

On  the  present  occasion,  Mary  Wallace  was  strongly 
affected ;  it  would  not  have  been  possible,  for  one  of  her 
gentle  nature  and  warm  affections,  to  be  otherwise,  when  an 
agreeable  companion,  one  she  had  now  known  intimately 
near  two  years,  was  about  to  take  his  leave  of  her,  on  an 
errand  that  he  himself  either  thought,  or  affected  so  well  to 
seem  to  think,  might  lead  to  the  most  melancholy  issue. 
She  shook  hands  with  Bulstrode,  warmly  ;  wished  him  good 
fortune,  and  various  other  pleasant  things ;  thanked  him  for 
his  good  opinion,  and  expressed  her  hope,  as  well  as  her 
belief,  that  they  should  all  meet  again  before  the  summer 
was  over,  and  again  be  happy  in  each  other's  society. 

Anneke's  turn  came  next.  Her  handkerchief  was  at  her 
eyes ;  and,  when  it  was  removed,  the  face  was  pale,  and  the 
cheeks  were  covered  with  tears.  The  smile  that  followed, 
was  sweetness  itself;  and,  I  will  own,  it  caused  me  a  most 
severe  pang.  To  my  surprise,  Bulstrode  said  nothing.  He 
took  Anneke's  hand,  pressed  it  to  his  heart,  kissed  it,  left  a 
note  in  it,  bowed,  and  moved  away.  I  felt  ashamed  to  watch 
the  countenance  of  Miss  Mordaunt,  under  such  circumstances, 
and  turned  aside,  that  observation  might  not  increase  the 
distress  and  embarrassment  she  evidently  felt.  I  saw 
enough,  notwithstanding,  to  render  me  more  uncertain  than 
ever,  as  to  the  success  of  my  own  suit.  Anneke's  colour 
had  come  and  gone,  as  Bulstrode  stood  near  her,  acting  hia 


SATANSTOE.  295 

dumb-show  of  leave-taking ;  and,  to  me,  she  seemed  far 
more  affected  than  Mary  Wallace  had  been.  Nevertheless, 
her  feelings  were  always  keener  and  more  active  than  those 
of  her  friend  ;  and,  that  which  my  sensitiveness  took  for  the 
emotion  of  tenderness,  might  be  nothing  more  than  ordinary 
womanly  feeling  and  friendship.  Besides,  Bulstrode  was 
actually  her  relative. 

We  men  all  attended  Bulstrode  to  his  horse.  He  shook 
us  cordially  by  the  hand ;  and,  after  he  had  got  into  the 
saddle,  he  said — "This  summer  will  be  warmer  than  is 
usual,  even  in  your  warmy-cold  climate.  My  letters  from 
home  give  me  reason  to  think  that  there  is,  at  last,  a  man 
of  talents  at  the  head  of  affairs ;  and  the  British  empire  is 
likely  to  feel  the  impulse  he  will  give  it,  at  its  most  remote 
extremities.  I  shall  expect  you  three  young  men  to  join  the 

— th,  as  volunteers,  as  soon  as  you  hear  of  our  moving  in 

advance.  I  wish  I  had  a  thousand  like  you  ;  for  that  affair 
of  the  river  tells  where  a  man  will  be  found  when  the  time 
comes.  God  bless  you,  Corny !"  leaning  forward  in  his 
saddle,  to  give  me  another  shake  of  the  hand ;  "  we  must 
remain  friends,  coute  qui  coute." 

There  was  no  withstanding  this  frankness,  and  so  much 
good-temper.  We  shook  hands  most  cordially  ;  Bulstrode 
raised  his  hat  and  bowed  ;  after  which  he  rode  away,  as  I 
fancied,  at  a  slow,  thoughtful,  reluctant  pace.  Notwith 
standing  the  kindness  of  this  parting,  I  had  more  cause  than 
ever  to  regret  Bulstrode  had  appeared  among  us ;  and  the 
scenes  of  that  morning  only  confirmed  me  in  a  resolution, 
previously  adopted,  not  to  urge  Anneke  to  any  decision,  in 
my  case,  at  a  moment  when  I  felt  there  might  be  so  much 
danger  it  would  he  adveR»s., 


296  SATANSTOB. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"Come,  let  a  proper  text  be  read, 
An*  touch  it  aff  wi*  vigour, 
How  graceless  Ham  leugh  at  his  dad, 
Which  made  Canaan  a  nigger." 

BUKITS. 

TEN  days  after  the  departure  of  the  th,   Herman 

Mordaunt  and  his  family,  with  our  own  party,  left  Albany 7 
on  the  summer's  business.  la  that  interval,  however,  great 
changes  had  taken  place  in  the  military  aspect  of  things. 
Several  regiments  of  King's  troops  ascended  the  Hudson  ? 
most  of  the  sloops  on  the  river,  of  which  there  could  not 
have  been  fewer  than  thirty  or  forty,  having  been  em 
ployed  in  transporting  them  and  their  stores.  Two  or  three 
corps  came  across  the  country,  from  the  eastern  colonies, 
while  several  provincial  regiments  appeared ;  everything 
tending  to  a  concentration  at  this  point,  the  head  of  naviga 
tion  on  the  Hudson.  Among  other  men  of  mark,  who  ac 
companied  the  troops,  was  Lord  Viscount  Howe,  the  noble- 
man  of  whom  Herman  Mordaunt  had  spoken.  He  bore  the 
local  rank  of  Brigadier,*  and  seemed  to  be  the  very  soul  of 
the  army.  It  was  not  his  personal  consideration  alone,  that 
placed  him  so  high  in  the  estimation  of  the  public  and  of 
the  troops,  but  his  professional  reputation,  and  professional 
services.  There  were  many  young  men  of  rank  in  the 
army  present ;  and,  as  for  younger  sons  of  peers,  there  were 
enough  to  make  honourables  almost  as  plenty,  at  Albany, 
as  they  were  at  Boston.  Most  of  the  colonial  families  of 
mark  had  sons  in  the  service,  too  ;  those  of  the  middle  and 
southern  colonies  bearing  commissions  in  regular  regiments , 

*  The  ordinary  American  reader  may  not  know  that  the  rank  of 
Brigadier,  in  the  British  army,  is  not  a  step  in  the  regular  line  of 
promotion,  as  with  us.  In  England,  the  regular  military  gradations 
are  from  Colonel  to  Major-general,  Lieut.  General,  General,  and  Field 
Marshal.  The  rank  of  Brigadier  is  barely  recognised,  like  that  of 
Commodore,  in  the  navy,  to  be  used  on  emergencies ;  usually  as  bre 
vet,  local  rank,  to  enable  the  government  to  employ  clever  colonels 
at  need. 


8ATANSTOE.  297 

while  the  provincial  troops  from  the  eastern  were  led,  aa 
was  very  usual,  in  that  quarter  of  the  country,  by  men  of 
the  class  of  yeomen,  in  a  great  degree ;  the  habits  of  equality 
that  prevailed  in  those  provinces  making  few  distinctions,  on 
the  score  of  birth  or  fortune. 

Yet  it  was  said,  I  remember,  that  obedience  was  as 
marked,  among  the  provincials  from  Massachusetts  and 
Connecticut,  as  among  those  that  came  from  farther  south ; 
the  men  deferring  to  authority,  as  the  agent  of  the  laws. 
They  were  fine  troops,  too ;  better  than  our  own  colony 
regiments,  I  must  acknowledge ;  seeming  to  belong  to  a 
higher  class  of  labourers ;  while,  it  must  be  admitted,  that 
most  of  their  officers  were  no  very  brilliant  representatives 
of  manners,  acquirements,  or  habits,  that  would  be  likely  to 
qualify  them  for  command.  It  must  have  been  that  the 
officers  and  men  suited  each  other ;  for,  it  was  said  all  round, 
that  they  stood  well,  and  fought  very  bravely,  whenever 
they  were  particularly  well  led,  as  did  not  always  happen  to 
be  the  case.  As  a  body  of  mere  physical  men,  they  were 
universally  allowed  to  be  the  finest  corps  in  the  army,  regu 
lars  and  all  included. 

I  saw  Lord  Howe  two  or  three  times,  particularly  at  the 
residence  of  Madam  Schuyler,  the  lady  I  have  already  had 
occasion  to  mention,  and  to  whom  I  had  given  the  letter  of 
introduction  procured  by  my  mother,  the  Mordaunts  visiting 
her  with  great  assiduity,  and  frequently  taking  me  with 
them.  As  for  Lord  Howe,  himself,  he  almost  lived  under 
the  roof  of  excellent  Madam  Schuyler ;  where,  indeed,  all 
the  good  company  assembled  at  Albany,  was,  at  times,  to 
be  seen. 

Our  party  was  a  large  one ;  and,  it  might  have  passed  for 
a  small  corps  of  the  army  itself,  moving  on  in  advance  ;  as 
was  the  case  with  corps,  or  parts  of  corps,  now,  almost  daily. 
Herman  Mordaunt  had  delayed  our  departure,  indeed,  ex 
pressly  with  a  view  to  render  the  country  safe,  by  letting  it 
fill  with  detachments  from  the  army ;  and  our  progress, 
when  we  were  once  in  motion,  was  literally  from  post  to 
post ;  encampment  to  encampment.  It  may  be  well  to  enu 
merate  our  force,  and  to  relate  the  order  of  our  march,  that 
the  reader  may  better  comprehend  the  sort  of  business  we 
were  on. 


298  SATANSTOE. 

Herman  Mordaunt  took  with  him,  in  addition  to  the  ladies, 
a  black  cook,  and  a  black  serving-girl;  a  negro-man,  to 
take  care  of  his  horses,  and  another  as  his  house-servant. 
He  had  three  white  labourers,  in  addition — men  employed 
about  the  teams,  and  as  axe-men,  to  clear  the  woods,  bridge 
the  streams,  and  to  do  other  work  of  that  nature,  as  it  mighr 
be  required.  On  our  side,  there  were  us  three  gentlemen, 
Yaap,  my  own  faithful  negro,  Mr.  Traverse,  the  surveyor, 
two  chain-bearers,  and  two  axe-men.  Guert  Ten  Eyck 
carried  with  him,  also,  a  negro-man,  who  was  called  Pete ; 
it  being  contrary  to  bonos  mores  to  style  him  Peter  or  Pe- 
trus ;  the  latter  being  his  true  appellation.  This  made  us 
ten  men  strong,  of  whom  eight  were  white,  and  two  black. 
Herman  Mordaunt  mustered,  in  all,  just  the  same  number, 
of  which,  however,  four  were  females.  Thus,  by  uniting 
our  forces,  we  made  a  party  of  twenty  souls,  altogether. 
Of  this  number,  all  the  males,  black  and  white,  were  well 
armed,  each  man  owning  a  good  rifle,  and  each  of  the  gen 
tlemen  a  brace  of  pistols  in  addition.  We  carried  the  latter 
belted  to  our  bodies,  with  the  weapons,  which  were  small 
and  fitted  to  the  service,  turned  behind,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
be  concealed  by  our  outer  garments.  The  belts  were  also 
hid  by  the  flaps  of  our  nether  garments.  By  this  arrange 
ment,  we  were  well  armed  without  seeming  to  be  so ;  a  pre 
caution  that  is  sometimes  useful  in  the  woods. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  that  we  did  not  plunge  into 
the  forest  in  the  attire  in  which  we  had  been  accustomed  to 
appear  in  the  streets  of  New  York  and  Albany.  Cocked 
hats  were  laid  aside  altogether;  forest  caps,  resembling  in 
form  those  we  had  worn  in  the  winter,  with  the  exception 
that  the  fur  had  been  removed,  being  substituted.  The  ladies 
wore  light  beavers,  suited  to  their  sex;  there  being  little 
occasion  for  any  shade  for  the  face,  under  the  dense  cano 
pies  of  the  forest.  Veils  of  green,  however,  were  added,  as 
the  customary  American  protection  for  the  sex.  Anneke 
and  Mary  travelled  in  habits,  made  of  light  woman's  cloth, 
and  in  a  manner  to  fit  their  exquisite  forms  like  gloves.  The 
skirts  were  short,  to  enable  them  to  walk  with  ease,  in  the 
event  of  being  compelled  to  go  a-foot.  A  feather  or  two,  in 
3ach  hat,  had  not  been  forgotten — the  offering  of  the  natural 
propensity  of  their  sex,  to  please  the  eyes  of  men 


SATANSTOE.  299 

As  for  us  men,  buckskin  formed  the  principal  material 
of  our  garments.  We  all  wore  buckskin  breeches,  and 
gaiters,  and  moccasins.  The  latter,  however,  had  the  white- 
man's  soles ;  though  Guert  took  a  pair  or  two  with  him  that 
were  of  the  pure  Indian  manufacture.  Each  of  us  had  a 
coatee,  made  of  common  cloth ;  but  we  all  carried  hunting- 
shirts,  to  be  worn  as  soon  as  we  entered  the  woods.  These 
hunting-shirts,  green  in  colour,  fringed  and  ornamented  gar 
ments,  of  the  form  of  shirts  to  be  worn  over  all,  were  ex 
ceedingly  smart  in  appearance,  and  were  admirably  suited 
to  the  woods.  It  was  thought  that  the  fringes,  form,  and 
colour,  blended  them  so  completely  with  the  foliage,  as  to 
render  them  in  a  manner  invisible  to  one  at  a  distance ;  or, 
at  least,  undistinguished.  They  were  much  in  favour  with 
all  the  forest  corps  of  America,  and  formed  the  usual  uni 
form  of  the  riflemen  of  the  woods,  whether  acting  against 
man,  or  only  against  the  wild  beasts. 

Neither  Mr.  Worden,  nor  Jason,  moved  with  the  main 
party ;  and  it  was  precisely  on  account  of  these  distinctions 
of  dress.  As  for  the  divine,  he  was  so  good  a  stickler  for 
appearances,  he  would  have  worn  the  gown  and  surplice, 
even  on  a  mission  to  the  Indians  ;  which,  by-the-way,  was 
ostensibly  his  present  business ;  and,  at  the  several  occa 
sions,  on  which  I  saw  him  at  cock-fights,  he  kept  on  the 
clerical  coat  and  shovel-hat.  In  a  word,  Mr.  Worden  never 
neglected  externals,  so  far  as  dress  was  concerned ;  and,  I 
much  question,  if  he  would  have  consented  to  read  prayers 
without  the  surplice,  or  to  preach  without  the  gown,  let  the 
desire  for  spiritual  provender  be  as  great  as  it  might.  I 
very  well  remember  to  have  heard  my  father  say,  that,  on 
one  occasion,  the  parson  had  refused  to  officiate  of  a  Sun 
day,  when  travelling,  rather  than  bring  discredit  on  the 
church,  by  appearing  in  the  discharge  of  his  holy  office, 
without  the  appliances  that  belonged  to  the  clerical  charac 
ter. 

"  More  harm  than  good  is  done  to  religion,  Mr.  Little- 
page,"  said  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden,  on  that  occasion,  "  by 
thus  lessening  its  rites  in  vulgar  eyes.  The  first  thing  is 
to  teach  men  to  respect  holy  things,  my  dear  sir ;  and  a 
clergyman  in  his  gown  and  surplice,  commands  threefold 
the  respect  of  one  without  them.  I  consider  it,  therefore,  a 


300  SATANSTOE. 

sacred  duty  to  uphold  the  dignity  of  my  office  oa  al!  occa 
sions." 

It  was  in  consequence  of  these  opinions,  that  the  divine 
travelled  in  his  clerical  hat,  clerical  coat,  black  breeches, 
and  band,  even  when  in  pursuit  of  the  souls  of  red  men 
among  the  wilds  of  North  America  !  I  wil!  not  take  it  upon 
myself  to  say,  these  observances  had  not  their  use ;  but  I 
am  very  certain  they  put  the  reverend  gentleman  to  a  great 
deal  of  inconvenience. 

As  for  Jason,  he  gave  a  Danbury  reason  for  travelling 
i»  his  best.  Everybody  did  so,  in  his  quarter  of  the  country  ; 
and,  for  his  part,  he  thought  it  disrespectful  to  strangers,  to 
appear  among  them  in  old  clothes !  There  was,  however, 
another  and  truer  reason,  and  that  was  economy ;  for  the 
troops  had  so  far  raised  the  price  of  everything,  that  Jason 
did  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  Albany  the  dearest  place  he 
had  ever  been  in.  There  was  some  truth  in  this  allegation  ; 
and  the  distance  from  New  York,  being  no  less  than  one 
hundred  and  sixty  miles — so  reported — the  reader  will  at 
once  see,  it  was  the  business  of  quite  a  month,  or  even  more, 
to  re-furnish  the  shelves  of  the  shop  that  had  been  emptied. 
The  Dutch  not  only  moved  slow,  but  they  were  methodical ; 
and  the  shopkeeper  whose  stores  were  exhausted  in  April, 
would  not  be  apt  to  think  of  replenishing  them,  until  the 
regular  time  and  season  returned. 

As  a  consequence  of  these  views  and  motives,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Worden  and  Mr.  Jason  Newcome  left  Albany  twenty- 
four  hours  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  our  party,  with  the 
understanding  they  were  to  join  us  at  a  point  where  the 
road  led  into  the  woods,  and  where  it  was  thought  the  cocked 
hat  and  the  skin  cap  might  travel  in  company  harmoniously. 
There  was,  however,  a  reason  for  the  separation  I  have  not. 
yet  named,  in  the  fact  that  all  of  my  own  set  travelled  on 
foot,  three  or  four  pack-horses  carrying  our  necessaries. 
Now  Mr.  Worden  had  been  offered  a  seat  in  a  government 
conveyance,  and  Jason  managed  to  worm  himself  into  the 
party,  in  some  way  that  to  me  was  ever  inexplicable.  It  is, 
however,  due  to  Mr.  Newcome  to  confess  that  his  faculty  of 
obtaining  favours  of  all  sorts,  was  of  a  most  extraordinary 
character;  and  he  certainly  never  lost  any  chance  of  pre- 
fcrmsnt  for  want  of  asking.  In  this  respect,  Jason  was 


8ATANSTOE.  SOI 

always  a  moral  enigma,  to  me ;  there  being  an  absolute 
absence,  in  his  mind,  of  everything  like  a  perception  of  the 
fitness  of  things,  so  far  as  the  claims  and  rights  of  persons 
were  connected  with  rank,  education,  birth,  and  experience, 
Rank,  in  the  official  sense,  once  possessed,  he  understood 
and  respected ;  but  of  the  claims  to  entitle  one  to  its  enjoy 
ment,  he  seemed  to  have  no  sort  of  notion.  For  property 
he  had  a  profound  deference,  so  far  as  that  deference  ex 
tended  to  its  importance  and  influence ;  but  it  would  have 
caused  him  not  the  slightest  qualm,  either  in  the  way  of  con 
science  or  feeling,  to  find  himself  suddenly  installed  in  the 
mansion  of  the  palroons,  for  instance,  and  placed  in  posses 
sion  of  their  estates,  provided  only  he  fancied  he  could 
maintain  his  position.  The  circumstance  that  he  was  dwell 
ing  under  the  roof  that  was  erected  by  another  man's  ances 
tors,  for  instance,  and  that  others  were  living  who  had  a 
better  moral  right  to  it,  would  give  him  no  sort  of  trouble, 
so  long  as  any  quirk  of  the  law  would  sustain  him  in  pos 
session.  In  a  word,  all  that  was  allied  to  sentiment,  in 
matters  of  this  nature,  was  totally  lost  on  Jason  Newcome, 
who  lived  and  acted,  from  the  hour  he  first  came  among  us, 
as  if  the  game  of  life  were  merely  a  game  of  puss  in  the 
corner,  in  which  he  who  inadvertently  left  his  own  post  un 
protected,  would  be  certain  to  find  another  filling  his  place 
as  speedily  as  possible.  I  have  mentioned  this  propensity 
of  Jason's  at  some  little  length,  as  I  feel  certain,  should  this 
history  be  carried  down  by  my  own  posterity,  as  I  hope  and 
design,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  disposition  to  regard  the 
whole  human  family  as  so  many  tenants  in  common,  of  the 
estate  left  by  Adam,  will  lead,  in  the  end,  to  something  ex 
traordinary.  But,  leaving  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  and  Mr. 
Jason  Newcome  to  journey  in  their  public  conveyance,  I 
must  return  to  our  own  party. 

All  of  us  rnen,  with  the  exception  of  those  who  drove  the 
two  wagons  of  Herman  Mordaunt,  marched  a-foot.  Each 
of  us  carried  a  knapsack,  in  addition  to  his  rifle  and  ammu 
nition  ;  and,  it  will  be  imagined,  that  our  day's  work  was 
not  a  very  long  one.  The  first  day,  we  halted  at  Madam 
Schuyler's,  by  invitation,  where  we  all  dined  ;  including  the 
surveyor.  Lord  Howe  was  among  the  guests,  that  day; 
and  he  appeared  to  admire  the  spirit  of  Anneke  and  Mary 
26 


302  SATANSTOE. 

Wallace  greatly,  in  attempting  such  an  expedition,  at  such 
a  time. 

"  You  need  have  no  fears,  however,  ladies,  as  we  shall 
keep  up  strong  detachments  between  you  and  the  French," 
he  said,  more  gravely,  after  some  pleasant  trifling  on  the 
subject.  "  Last  summer's  work,  and  the  disgraceful  man 
ner  in  which  poor  Munro  was  abandoned  to  his  fate,  has 
rendered  us  all  keenly  alive  to  the  importance  of  compelling 
the  enemy  to  remain  at  the  north  end  of  Lake  George ;  too 
many  battles  having  already  been  fought  on  this  side  it,  for 
the  credit  of  the  British  arms.  We  pledge  ourselves  to  your 
safety." 

Anneke  thanked  him  for  this  pledge,  and  the  conversation 
changed.  There  was  a  young  man  present,  who  bore  the 
name  of  Schuyler,  and  who  was  nearly  related  to  Madam, 
with  whose  air,  manner  and  appearance  I  was  much  struck. 
His  aunt  called  him  *  Philip ;'  and,  being  about  rny  own  age, 
during  this  visit  I  got  into  conversation  with  him.  He  told 
me  he  was  attached  to  the  commissariat  under  Gen.  Brad- 
street,  and  that  he  should  move  on  with  the  army,  as  soon 
as  the  preparations  for  its  marching  were  completed.  He 
then  entered  into  a  clear,  simple  explanation  of  the  supposed 
plan  of  the  approaching  campaign. 

"  We  shall  see  you  and  your  friends  among  us,  then,  I 
hope,"  he  added,  as  we  were  walking  on  the  lawn  together, 
previously  to  the  summons  to  dinner ;  "  for,  to  own  to  you 
the  truth,  Mr.  Littlepage,  I  do  not  half  like  the  necessity  of 
our  having  so  many  eastern  troops  among  us,  to  clear  this 
colony  of  its  enemies.  It  is  true,  a  nation  must  fight  its 
foes  wherever  they  may  happen  to  be  found ;  but  there  is  so 
little  in  common,  between  us  and  the  Yankees,  that  I  could 
wish  we  were  strong  enough  to  beat  back  the  French 
alone." 

"  We  have  the  same  sovereign  and  the  same  allegiance," 
I  answered  ;  "  if  you  can  call  that  something  in  common." 

"  That  is  true  ;  yet,  I  think  you  must  have  enough  Dutch 
blood  about  you  to  understand  me.  My  duty  calls  me  much 
among  the  different  regiments  ;  and,  I  will  own,  that  I  find 
more  trouble  with  one  New  England  regiment,  than  with  a 
whole  brigade  of  the  other  troops.  They  have  generals, 


SATANSTOE.  303 

and  colonels,  and  majors,  enough  for  the  army  of  the  Duke 
of  Marl  borough !" 

"It  is  certain,  there  is  no  want  of  military  rank  among 
them — and  they  are  particularly  fond  of  referring  to  it." 

"  Quite  true,"  answered  young  Schuyler,  smiling.  "  You 
will  hear  the  word  '  general'  or  *  colonel'  oftener  used,  in 
one  of  their  cantonments,  in  a  day,  than  you  shall  hear  it 
at  Head  Quarters  in  a  month.  They  have  capital  points 
about  them,  too ;  yet,  somehow  or  other,  we  do  not  like 
each  other." 

Twenty  years  later  in  life,  I  had  reason  to  remember  this 
remark,  as  well  as  to  reflect  on  the  character  of  the  man 
who  had  uttered  it.  I,  or  my  successors,  will  probably  have 
occasion  to  advert  to  matters  connected  with  this  feeling,  in 
the  later  passages  of  this  record. 

I  had  also  a  little  conversation  with  Lord  Howe,  who 
complimented  me  on  what  had  passed  on  the  river.  He  had 
evidently  received  an  account  of  that  affair  from  some  one 
who  was  much  my  friend,  and  saw  fit  to  allude  to  the  sub 
ject  in  a  way  that  was  very  agreeable  to  myself.  This 
short  conversation  was  not  worth  repeating,  but  it  opened 
the  way  to  an  acquaintance  that  subsequently  was  connected 
with  some  events  of  interest. 

About  an  hour  after  dinner,  our  party  took  its  leave  of 
Madam  Schuyler,  and  moved  on.  The  day's  march  was 
intended  to  be  short,  though  by  this  time  the  roads  were  set 
tled,  and  tolerably  good.  Of  roads,  however,  we  were  not 
long  to  enjoy  the  advantages,  for  they  extended  only  some 
thirty  miles  to  the  north  of  Albany,  in  our  direction.  With 
the  exception  of  the  military  route,  which  led  direct  to  the 
head-waters  of  Lake  Champlain,  this  was  about  the  extent 
of  all  the  avenues  that  penetrated  the  interior,  in  that  quarter 
of  the  country.  Our  direction  was  to  the  northward  and 
eastward,  both  Ravensnest  and  Mooseridge  lying  slightly  in 
the  direction  of  the  Hampshire  Grants. 

As  soon  as  we  reached  the  point  on  the  great  northern 
road,  or  that  ?rhich  led  towards  Skeenesborough,  Herman 
Mordaunt  was  obliged  to  quit  his  wagons,  and  to  put  all  the 
females  on  horseback.  The  most  necessary  of  the  stores 
were  placed  on  pack-horses ;  and,  after  a  delay  of  half  a 
day,  time  lost  in  making  these  arrangements,  we  proceeded. 


304  SATANSTOE. 

The  wagons  were  to  follow,  but  at  a  slow  pace,  the  ladies 
being  compelled  to  abandon  them  on  account  of  the  rugged- 
ness  of  the  ways,  which  would  have  rendered  their  motion 
not  easy  to  be  borne.  Our  cavalcade  and  train  of  footmen 
made  a  respectable  display  along  the  uneven  road,  which 
soon  became  very  little  more  than  a  line  cut  through  the 
forest,  with  an  occasional  wheel-track,  but  without  the  least 
attempt  to  level  the  surface  of  the  ground  by  any  artificial 
means.  This  was  the  place  where  we  were  to  overtake  Mr. 
Worden  and  Jason,  and  where  we  did  find  their  effects ;  the 
owners  themselves  having  gone  on  in  advance,  leaving  word 
that  we  should  fall  in  with  them  somewhere  on  the  route. 

Guert  and  I  marched  in  front,  our  youth  and  vigour  ena 
bling  us  to  do  this  with  great  ease  to  ourselves.  Knowing 
that  the  ladies  were  well  cared  for,  on  horseback,  we  pushed 
on,  in  order  to  make  provision  for  their  reception,  at  a  house 
a  few  miles  distant,  where  we  were  to  pass  the  night.  This 
building  was  of  logs,  of  course,  and  stood  quite  alone  in  the 
wilderness,  having,  however,  some  twenty  or  thirty  acres 
of  cleared  land  around  it ;  and  it  would  not  do  to  pass  it,  at 
that  time  of  the  day.  The  distance  from  this  solitary  dwell 
ing  to  the  first  habitation  on  Herman  Mordaunt's  property, 
was  eighteen  miles  ;  and  that  was  a  length  of  road  that  would 
require  the  whole  of  a  long  May  day  to  overcome,  under 
our  circumstances. 

Guert  and  myself  might  have  been  about  a  mile  in  ad 
vance  of  the  rest  of  the  party,  when  we  saw  a  sort  of  semi- 
clearing  before  us,  that  we  mistook  at  first  for  our  resting- 
place.  A  few  acres  had  been  chopped  over,  letting  in  the 
light  of  the  day  upon  the  gloom  of  the  forest,  but  the  second 
growth  was  already  shooting  up,  covering  the  area  with  high 
bushes.  As  we  drew  nearer,  we  saw  it  was  a  small,  aban 
doned  clearing.  Entering  it,  voices  were  heard  at  no  great 
distance,  and  we  stopped  ;  for  the  human  voice  is  not  heard, 
in  such  a  place,  without  causing  the  traveller  to  pause,  and 
stand  to  his  arms.  This  we  did ;  after  which  we  listened 
with  some  curiosity  and  caution. 

"  High !"  exclaimed  some  one,  very  distinctly,  in  Eng 
lish. 

"  Jack  !"  said  another  voice,  in  a  sort  of  answering  second 
that  could  not  well  be  mistaken. 


&ATANSTOE.  305 

"  There 's  thiee  for  low ; — is  that  good  ?"  put  in  the  first 
speaker. 

"  It  will  do,  sir ;  but  here  are  a  ten  and  an  ace.  Ten 
and  three,  and  four  and  two  make  nineteen  ; — I  'm  game." 

"  High,  low,  Jack  and  game  !"  whispered  Guert ;  "  here 
are  fellows  playing  at  cards,  near  us ;  let  us  go  on  and  beat 
up  their  quarters." 

We  did  so ;  and,  pushing  aside  some  bushes,  broke,  quite 
unexpectedly  to  all  parties,  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  and 
Jason  Newcome,  playing  the  game  of  'All  Fours  on  a  stump  ; 
or,  if  not  literally  in  the  classic  position  of  using  '  the  stump,' 
substituting  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree  for  their  table.  As 
we  broke  suddenly  in  upon  the  card-players,  Jason  gave 
unequivocal  signs  of  a  disposition  to  conceal  his  hand,  by 
thrusting  the  cards  he  held  into  his  bosom,  while  he  rapidly 
put  the  remainder  of  the  pack  under  his  thigh,  pressing  it 
down  in  a  way  completely  to  conceal  it.  This  sudden 
movement  was  merely  the  effect  of  a  puritanical  education, 
which,  having  taught  him  to  consider  that  as  a  sin  which 
was  not  necessarily  a  sin  at  all,  exacted  from  him  that  hy 
pocrisy  which  is  the  tribute  that  vice  pays  to  virtue  !  Very 
different  was  the  conduct  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden.  Taught 
to  discriminate  better,  and  unaccustomed  to  set  up  arbitrary 
rules  of  his  own  as  the  law  of  God,  this  loose  observer  of 
his  professional  obligations  in  other  matters,  made  a  very 
proper  distinction  in  this.  Instead  of  giving  the  least  mani 
festation  of  confusion  or  alarm,  the  log  on  which  he  was 
seated  was  not  more  unmoved  than  he  remained,  at  our  sud 
den  appearance  at  his  side. 

"  I  hope,  Corny,  my  dear  boy,"  Mr.  Worden  cried,  "tha* 
you  did  not  forget  to  purchase  a  few  packs  of  cards  ;  which 
I  plainly  see,  will  be  a  great  resource  for  us,  in  this  woody 
region.  These  cards  of  Jason's  are  so  thumbed  and  han 
dled,  that  they  are  not  fit  to  be  touched  by  a  gentleman,  as 
I  will  show  you. — Why,  what  has  become  of  the  pack, 
Master  Newcome  ? — It  was  on  the  log  but  a  minute  ago  !" 

Jason  actually  blushed !  Yes,  for  a  wonder,  shame  in 
duced  Jason  Newcome  to  change  colour  !  The  cards  were 
reluctantly  produced  from  beneath  his  leg,  and  there  the 
schoolmaster  sat,  as  it  might  be  in  presence  of  his  school 
actually  convicted  of  being  engaged  in  the  damning  sin  of 


306  SATANSTOE. 

handling  certain  spotted  pieces  of  paper,  invented  for,  and 
used  in  the  combinations  of  a  game  played  for  amusement. 

"  Had  it  been  push-pin,  now,"  Guert  whispered,  "  it  would 
give  Mr.  Newcome  no  trouble  at  all;  but  he  does  not  admire 
the  idea  of  being  caught  at  'All  Fours,  on  a  stump.'  We 
must  say  a  word  to  relieve  the  poor  sinner's  distress.  I  have 
cards,  Mr.  Worden,  and  they  shall  be  much  at  your  service, 
as  soon  as  we  can  come  at  our  effects.  There  is  one  pack 
in  my  knapsack,  but  it  is  a  little  soiled  by  use,  though  some 
what  cleaner  than  that.  If  you  wish  it,  I  will  hand  it  to 
you.  I  never  travel  without  carrying  one  or  two  clean 
packs  with  me." 

"  Not  just  now,  sir,  I  thank  you.  I  love  a  game  of  Whist, 
or  Picquet,  but  cannot  say  I  am  an  admirer  of  All  Fours. 
As  Mr.  Newcome  knows  no  other,  we  were  merely  killing 
half  an  hour,  at  that  game  ;  but  I  have  enough  of  it  to  last 
me  for  the  summer.  I  am  glad  that  cards  have  not  been 
forgotten,  however,-  for,  I  dare  say,  we  can  make  up  a  very 
respectable  party  at  Whist,  when  we  all  meet." 

"  That  we  can,  sir,  and  a  party  that  shall  have  its  good 
players.  Miss  Mary  Wallace  plays  as  good  a  hand  at  Whist, 
as  a  woman  should,  Mr.  Worden  ;  and  a  very  pretty  accom 
plishment  it  is,  for  a  lady  to  possess;  useful,  sir,  as  well  as 
entertaining ;  for  anything  is  preferable  to  dummy.  I  do 
not  think  a  woman  should  play  quite  as  well  as  a  man,  our 
sex  having  a  natural  claim  to  lead,  in  all  such  things  ;  but 
it  is  very  convenient,  sometimes,  to  find  a  lady  who  can 
hold  her  hand  with  coolness  and  skill." 

"I  would  not  marry  a  woman  who  did  not  understand 
Picquet,"  exclaimed  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  ;  "  to  say  nothing 
of  Whist,  and  one  or  two  other  games.  But,  let  us  be 
moving,  since  the  hour  is  getting  late." 

Move  on  we  did,  and  in  due  time  we  all  reached  the  place 
at  which  we  were  to  halt  for  the  night.  This  looked  like 
plunging  into  the  wilderness  indeed ;  for  the  house  had  but 
two  rooms,  one  of  which  was  appropriated  to  the  use  of  the 
females,  while  most  of  us  men  took  up  our  lodgings  in  the 
barn.  Anneke  and  Mary  Wallace,  however,  showed  the 
most  perfect  good-humour  ;  and  our  dinner,  or  supper  might 
better  be  the  name,  was  composed  of  deliciously  fat  and 
tender  broiled  pigeons.  It  was  the  pigeon  season,  the  woods 


SATANSTOE.  307 

being  full  of  the  birds ;  and  we  were  told,  we  might  expect 
to  feast  on  the  young  to  satiety. 

About  noon  the  next  day,  we  reached  the  first  clearing 
on  the  estate  of  Ravensnest.  The  country  through  which 
we  were  travelling  was  rolling  rather  than  bold ;  but  it  pos 
sessed  a  feature  of  grandeur  in  its  boundless  forests.  Our 
route,  that  day,  lay  under  lofty  arches  of  young  leaves,  the 
buds  just  breaking  into  the  first  green  of  the  foliage,  tall, 
straight  columns,  sixty,  eighty,  and  sometimes  a  hundred 
feet  of  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  rising  almost  without  a  branch. 
The  pines,  in  particular,  were  really  majestic,  most  of  them 
being  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  a  few,  as  I 
should  think,  nearly  if  not  quite  two  hundred.  As  every 
thing  grows  towards  the  upper  light,  in  the  forest,  this  ought 
not  to  surprise  those  who  are  accustomed  to  see  vegetation 
expand  its  powers  in  wide-spreading  tops,  and  low,  gnarled 
branches  that  almost  touch  the  ground,  as  is  the  case  in  the 
open  fields,  and  on  the  lawns  of  the  older  regions.  As  is 
usual  in  the  American  virgin  forest,  there  was  very  little 
under-brush ;  and  we  could  see  frequently  a  considerable 
distance  through  these  long  vistas  of  trees  ;  or,  indeed,  until 
the  number  of  the  stems  intercepted  the  sight. 

The  clearings  of  Ravensnest  were  neither  very  large  nor 
very  inviting.  In  that  day,  the  settlement  of  new  lands  was 
a  slow  and  painful  operation,  and  was  generally  made  at  a 
great  outlay  to  the  proprietor.  Various  expedients  were 
adopted  to  free  the  earth  from  its  load  of  trees  ;*  for,  at  that 

*  The  late  venerable  Hendrick  Frey  was  a  man  well  known  to  all 
who  dwelt  in  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk.  He  had  been  a  friend,  con 
temporary,  and  it  is  believed  an  executor  of  the  celebrated  Sir  Wil 
liam  Johnson,  Bart.  Thirty  years  since,  he  related  to  the  writer  the 
following  anecdote.  Young  Johnson  first  appeared  in  the  valley  as 
the  agent  of  a  property  belonging  to  his  kinsman,  Admiral  Sir  Peter 
Warren,  K.  B. ;  who,  having  married  in  the  colony,  had  acquired 
several  estates  in  it.  Among  other  tracts  was  one  called  Warrens- 
bush,  on  the  Mohawk,  on  which  young  Johnson  first  resided.  Find 
ing  it  difficult  to  get  rid  of  the  trees  around  his  dwelling,  Johnson 
sent  down  to  the  admiral,  at  New  York,  to  provide  some  purchases 
with  which  to  haul  the  trees  down  to  the  earth,  after  grubbing  and 
cutting  the  roots  on  one  side.  An  acre  was  lowered  in  this  manner, 
each  tree  necessarily  lying  at  a  larger  angle  to  the  earth  than  the 
next  beneath  it.  An  easterly  wind  came  one  night,  and,  to  John 
son's  surprise,  he  found  half  his  trees  erect  again,  on  rising  in  the 


308  SATANSTOE. 

time,  the  commerce  of  the  colonies  did  not  reward  the  toil 
of  the  settler  in  the  same  liberal  manner  as  has  since  oc 
curred.  Herman  Mordauni,  as  we  moved  along,  related  to 
me  the  cost  and  trouble  he  had  been  at  already,  in  getting 
the  ten  or  fifteen  families  who  were  on  his  property,  in  the 
first  place,  to  the  spot  itself;  and,  in  the  second  place,  to 
induce  them  to  remain  there.  Not  only  was  he  obliged  to 
grant  leases  for  three  lives,  or,  in  some  cases,  for  thirty  or 
forty  years,  at  rents  that  were  merely  nominal,  but,  as  a 
rule,  the  first  six  or  eight  years  the  tenants  were  to  pay  no 
rent  at  all.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  obliged  to  extend  to 
them  many  favours,  in  various  ways,  that  cost  no  inconside 
rable  sum  in  the  course  of  the  year.  Among  other  things, 
his  agent  kept  a  small  shop,  that  contained  the  most,  ordi 
nary  supplies  used  by  families  of  the  class  of  the  settler,  and 
these  he  sold  at  little  more  than  cost,  for  their  accommoda 
tion,  receiving  his  pay  in  such  articles  as  they  could  raise 
from  their  half-tilled  fields,  or  their  sugar-bushes,  and  turn 
ing  those  again  into  money,  only  after  they  were  transported 
to  Albany,  at  the  end  of  a  considerable  period.  In  a  word, 
the  commencement  of  such  a  settlement  was  an  arduous 
undertaking,  and  the  experiment  was  not  very  likely  to  suc 
ceed,  unless  the  landlord  had  both  capital  and  patience. 

The  political  economist  can  have  no  difficulty  in  discover 
ing  the  causes  of  the  circumstances  just  mentioned.  They 
were  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  people  were  scarce,  while 
land  was  superabundant.  In  such  a  condition  of  society,  the 
tenant  had  the  choice  of  his  farm,  instead  of  the  landlord's 
having  a  selection  of  his  tenants,  and  the  latter  were  to  be 
bought  only  on  such  conditions  as  suited  themselves. 

"  You  see,"  continued  Herman  Mordaunt,  as  we  walked 
together,  conversing  on  this  subject,  "  that  my  twenty  thou 
sand  acres  are  not  likely  to  be  of  much  use  to  myself,  even 
should  they  prove  to  be  of  any  to  my  daughter.  A  century 
hence,  indeed,  my  descendants  may  benefit  from  all  this 
outlay  of  money  and  trouble ;  but  it  is  not  probable  that 
either  I  or  Anneke  will  ever  see  the  principal  and  interest 
of  the  sums  that  will  be  expended  in  the  way  of  roads, 

morning !  The  mode  of  clearing  lands  by  *  purchases'  was  then 
abandoned.  —  EDITOR. 


SATANSTOE.  309 

bridges,  mills,  and  other  things  of  that  sort.  Years  must  go 
by,  before  the  light  rents  which  will  only  begin  to  be  paid  a 
year  or  two  hence,  and  then  only  by  a  very  few  tenants, 
can  amount  to  a  sufficient  sum  to  meet  the  expenses  of  keep 
ing  up  the  settlement,  to  say  nothing  of  the  quit-rents  to  be 
paid  to  the  crown." 

"  This  is  not  very  encouraging  to  a  new  beginner  in  the 
occupation  of  a  landlord,"  I  answered ;  "  and,  when  I  look 
into  the  facts,  I  confess,  I  am  surprised  that  so  many  gentle 
men  in  the  colony  are  willing  to  invest  the  sums  they  annu 
ally  do  in  wild  lands." 

"  Every  man  who  ip  at  his  ease  in  his  moneyed  affairs, 
Corny,  feels  a  disposition  to  make  some  provision  for  his 
posterity.  This  estate,  if  kept  together,  and  in  single  hands, 
may  make  some  descendant  of  mine  a  man  of  fortune.  Half 
a  century  will  produce  a  great  change  in  this  colony ;  and, 
at  the  end  of  that  period,  a  child  of  Anneke's  may  be  thank 
ful  that  his  mother  had  a  father  who  was  willing  to  throw 
away  a  few  thousands  of  his  own,  the  surplus  of  a  fortune 
that  was  sufficient  for  his  wants  without  them,  in  order  that 
his  grandson  may  see  them  converted  into  tens,  or  possibly 
into  hundreds  of  thousands." 

"  Posterity  will,  at  least,  owe  us  a  debt  of  gratitude,  Mr. 
Mordaunt ;  for  I  now  see  that  Mooseridge  is  not  likely  to 
make  either  Dirck  or  myself  very  affluent  patroons." 

"  On  that  you  may  rely.  Satanstoe  will  produce  you 
more  than  the  large  tracts  you  possess  in  this  quarter." 

"  Do  you  no  longer  fear,  sir,  that  the  war,  and  apprehen 
sion  of  Indian  ravages,  may  drive  your  people  off?" 

"  Not  much  at  present,  though  the  danger  was  great  at 
one  time.  The  war  may  do  me  good,  as  well  as  harm. 
The  armies  consume  everything  they  can  get  —  soldiers 
resembling  locusts,  in  this  respect.  My  tenants  have  had 
the  commissaries  among  them ;  and,  I  am  told,  every  blade 
of  grass  they  can  spare — all  their  surplus  grain,  potatoes, 
butter,  cheese,  and,  in  a  word,  everything  that  can  be  eaten, 
and  with  which  they  are  willing  to  part,  has  been  contracted 
for  at  the  top  of  the  market.  The  King  pays  in  gold,  and 
the  sight  of  the  precious  metals  will  keep  even  a  Yankee 
from  moving." 

About  the  time  this  was  said,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  spot 


310  SAf  ANSTOfc. 

Herman  Mordaunc  had  christened  Ravensnest ;  a  name  that 
had  since  been  applied  to  the  whole  property.  It  was  a  log 
building,  that  stood  on  the  verge  of  a  low  cliff  of  rocks,  at  a 
point  where  a  bird  of  that  appellation  had  originally  a  nest 
on  the  uppermost  branches  of  a  dead  hemlock.  The  build 
ing  had  been  placed,  and  erected,  with  a  view  to  defence, 
having  served  for  some  time  as  a  sort  of  rallying  point  to 
the  families  of  the  tenantry,  in'the  event  of  an  Indian  alarm. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  present  war,  taking  into  view 
the  exposed  position  of  his  possessions  on  that  frontier,—' 
frontier  as  to  settlement,  if  not  as  to  territorial  limits, — Her- 
man  Mordaunt  had  caused  some  attention  to  be  paid  to  his 
fortifications  ;  which,  though  they  might  not  have  satisfied 
Mons.  Vauban,  were  not  altogether  without  merit,  considered 
in  reference  to  their  use  in  case  of  a  surprise. 

The  house  formed  three  sides  of  a  parallelogram,  the 
open  portion  of  the  court  in  the  centre,  facing  the  cliff.  A 
strong  picket  served  to  make  a  defence  against  bullets  on  that 
side;  while  the  dead  walls  of  solid  logs  were  quite  impreg 
nable  against  any  assault  known  in  forest  warfare,  but  that 
of  fire.  All  the  windows  opened  on  the  court;  while  the 
single  outer  door  was  picketed,  and  otherwise  protected  by 
coverings  of  plank.  I  was  glad  to  see  by  the  extent  of  this 
rude  structure,  which  was  a  hundred  feet  long  by  fifty  in 
depth,  that  Anneke  and  Mary  Wallace  would  not  be  likely 
to  be  straitened  for  room.  Such  proved  to  be  the  fact ; 
Herman  Mordaunt's  agent  having  prepared  four  or  five 
apartments  for  the  family,  that  rendered  them  as  comfortable 
as  people  could  well  expect  to  be  in  such  a  situation.  Every- 
thing  was  plain,  and  many  things  were  rude ;  but  shelter^ 
warmth  and  security  had  not  been  neglected. 


SATANSTOE.  311 


CHAPTEE  XXL 

"And  long  shall  timorous  fancy  see 
The  painted  chief  and  pointed  spear; 

And  Reason's  self  shall  bow  the  knee 
To  shadows  and  delusions  here." 

FRENEAU. 

IT  is  not  necessary  to  dwell  on  the  manner  in  which  Her 
man  Mordaunt  and  his  companions  became  established  at 
Ravensnest.  Two  or  three  days  sufficed  to  render  them  as 
comfortable  as  circumstances  would  permit;  then  Dirck 
and  I  bethought  us  of  proceeding  in  quest  of  the  lands  of 
Mooseridge.  Mr.  Worden  and  Jason  both  declined  going 
any  further;  the  mill-seat,  of  which  the  last  was  in  quest, 
being,  as  I  now  learned,  on  the  estate  of  Herman  Mordaunt, 
and  having  been  for  some  time  the  subject  of  a  negotiation 
between  the  pedagogue  and  its  owner.  As  for  the  divine, 
he  declared  that  he  saw  a  suitable  '  field'  for  his  missionary 
labour  where  he  was  ;  while,  it  was  easy  to  see,  that  he 
questioned  if  there  were  fields  of  any  sort,  where  we  were 
going. 

Our  party,  on  quitting  Ravensnest,  consisted  of  Dirck  and 
myself,  Guert,  Mr.  Traverse,  the  surveyor,  three  chain- 
bearers,  Jaap  or  Yaap,  Guert's  man,  Pete,  and  one  woods 
man  or  hunter.  This  would  have  given  us  ten  vigorous 
and  well-armed  men,  for  our  whole  force.  It  was  thought 
best,  however,  to  add  two  Indians  to  our  number,  in  the 
double  character  of  hunters  and  runners,  or  messengers. 
One  of  these  red-skins  was  called  Jumper,  in  the  language 
of  the  settlement  where  we  found  them ;  and  the  other 
Trackless ;  the  latter  sobriquet  having  been  given  him  on 
account  of  a  faculty  he  possessed  of  leaving  little  or  no  trail 
in  his  journeys  and  marches.  This  Indian  was  about  six- 
and-twenty  years  of  age,  and  was  called  a  Mohawk,  living 
with  the  people  of  that  tribe  ;  though,  I  subsequently  ascer- 
tained  that  he  was,  in  fact,  an  Onondago*  by  birth.  Hi& 

*  Pronounced  On-on-daw-ger,  the  latter  syllable  hard ;  or,  like  ga, 
as  it  is  sometimes  spelled.  This  is  the  name  of  one  of  the  midland 


312  SATANSTOE. 

true  name  was  Susquesus,  or  Crooked  Turns ;  an  appella 
tion  that  might  or  might  not  speak  well  of  his  character,  as 
the  turns'  were  regarded  in  a  moral,  or  in  a  physical  sense. 

"  Take  that  man,  Mr.  Littlepage,  by  all  means,"  said 
Herman  Mordaunt's  agent,  when  the  matter  was  under  dis 
cussion.  "  You  will  find  him  as  useful,  in  the  woods,  as 
your  pocket-compass,  besides  being  a  reasonably  good 
hunter.  He  left  here,  as  a  runner,  during  the  heaviest  of 
the  snows,  last  winter,  and  a  trial  was  made  to  find  his  trail, 
within  half  an  hour  after  he  had  quitted  the  clearing,  but 
without  success.  He  had  not  gone  a  mile  in  the  woods, 
before  all  traces  of  him  were  lost,  as  completely  as  if  he  had 
made  the  journey  in  the  air." 

As  Susquesus  had  a  reputation  for  sobriety,  as  was  apt 
to  be  the  case  with  the  Onondagoes,  the  man  was  engaged, 
though  one  Indian  would  have  been  sufficient  for  our  pur 
pose.  But  Jumper  had  been  previously  hired ;  and  it  would 
have  been  dangerous,  under  our  circumstances,  to  offend  a 
-ed-man,  by  putting  him  aside  for  another,  even  after  com 
pensating  him  fully  for  the  disappointment.  By  Mr.  Tra 
verse's  advice,  therefore,  we  took  both.  The  Indian  or 
Mohawk  name  of  Jumper,  was  Quissquiss,  a  term  that,  I 
fancy,  signified  nothing  very  honourable  or  illustrious. 

The  girls  betrayed  deep  interest  in  us,  on  our  taking  leave; 
more,  I  thought,  than  either  had  ever  before  manifested. 
Guert  had  told  me,  privately,  of  an  intention,  on  his  part,  to 
make  another  offer  to  Mary  Wallace ;  and  I  saw  the  traces 
of  it  in  the  tearful  eyes  and  flushed  cheeks  of  his  mistress. 
But,  at  such  a  moment,  one  does  not  stop  to  think  much  of 
such  things  ;  there  being  tears  in  Anneke's  eyes,  as  well  as 
in  those  of  her  friend.  We  had  a  thousand  good  wishes  to 
exchange ;  and  we  promised  to  keep  open  the  communica 
tion  between  the  two  parties,  by  means  of  our  runners 
semi-weekly.  The  distance,  which  would  vary  from  fifteen 
to  thirty  miles,  would  readily  admit  of  this,  since  either  of 
the  Indians  would  pass  over  it,  with  the  greatest  ease  to 
himself,  in  a  day,  at  that  season  of  the  year. 

counties  of  New  York.  The  tribe  from  which  it  is  derived,  in  these 
later  times,  has  ever  borne  a  better  name  for  morals,  than  its  neigh, 
hours,  the  Oneidas,  the  Mohawks,  &c.,  &c.  The  Onondagoes  be» 
longed  to  the  Six  Nations.  —  EDITOR. 


SATAN STOE.  313 

.After  all,  the  separation  was  to  be  short,  for  we  had  pro- 
mised  to  come  over  and  dine  with  Herman  Mordaunt  on  hig 
fiftieth  birth-day,  which  would  occur  within  three  weeks. 
This  arrangement  made  the  parting  tolerable  to  us  young 
men,  and  our  constitutional  gaiety  did  the  rest.  Half  an 
hour  after  the  last  breakfast  at  Ravensnest  saw  us  all  on  our 
road,  cheerful,  if  not  absolutely  happy.  Herman  Mordaunt 
accompanied  us  three  miles ;  which  led  him  to  the  end  of 
his  own  settlements,  and  to  the  edge  of  the  virgin  forest. 
There  he  took  his  leave,  and  we  pursued  our  way  with  the 
utmost  diligence,  for  hours,  with  the  compass  for  our  guide, 
until  we  reached  the  banks  of  a  small  river  that  was  sup 
posed  to  lie  some  three  (or  four  miles  from  the  southern 
boundaries  of  the  patent  we  sought.  I  say,  '  supposed  to 
lie,'  for  there  existed  then,  and,  I  believe,  there  still  exists, 
much  uncertainty  concerning  the  landmarks  of  different 
estates  in  the  woods.  On  the  banks  of  this  stream,  which 
was  deep  but  not  broad,  the  surveyor  called  a  halt,  and  we 
made  our  dispositions  for  dinner.  Men  who  had  walked  as 
far  and  as  fast  as  we  had  done,  made  but  little  ceremony 
and  for  twenty  minutes  every  one  was  busy  in  appeasing 
his  hunger.  This  was  no  sooner  accomplished,  however 
than  Mr.  Traverse  summoned  the  Indians  to  the  side  of  tht» 
fallen  tree  on  which  we  had  taken  our  seats,  when  the  first 
occasion  occurred  for  putting  the  comparative  intelligence 
of  the  two  runners  to  the  proof.  At  the  same  time  the  prin 
cipal  chain-bearer,  a  man  whose  life  had  been  passed  in  his 
present  occupation,  was  brought  into  the  consultation,  as 
follows. 

"  We  are  now  on  the  banks  of  this  stream,  and  about  this 
bend  in  it,"  commenced  the  surveyor,  pointing  to  the  precise 
curvature  of  the  river  on  a  map  he  had  spread  before  him, 
at  which  he  supposed  we  were  actually  situated  5  "  and  the 
next  thing  is  to  find  that  ridge  on  which  the  moose  was 
killed,  and  across  which  the  line  of  the  patent  we  seek  is 
known  to  run.  This  abstract  of  the  title  tells  us  to  look  for 
a  corner  somewhere  off  here,  about  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  this  bend  in  the  river — a  black  oak,  with  its  top 
broken  off  by  the  wind,  and  standing  in  the  centre  of  a  tri 
angle  made  by  three  chestnuts.  I  think  you  told  me,  David 
that  you  had  never  borne  a  chain  on  any  of  these  ridges?'" 
37  - 


314  SATANSTOE. 

"  No,  sir,  never ;"  answered  David,  the  old  chain-bearer 
already  mentioned ;  "  my  business  never  having  brought  me 
out  so  far  east. — A  black  oak,  with  corner  blazes  on  it,  and 
its  top  broken  down  by  the  wind,  and  standing  atween  three 
chestnuts,  howsomedever,  can  be  nothing  so  very  hard  to 
find,  for  a  person  that 's  the  least  acquainted.  These  Injins 
will  be  the  likeliest  bodies  to  know  that  tree,  if  they've  any 
nat'ral  knowledge  of  the  country." 

Know  a  tree !  There  we  were,  and  had  been  for  many 
hours,  in  the  bosom  of  the  forest,  with  trees  in  thousands 
ranged  around  us  ;  trees  had  risen  on  our  march,  as  horizon 
extends  beyond  horizon  on  the  ocean,  and  this  chain-bearer 
fancied  it  might  be  in  the  power  of  one  who  often  passed 
through  these  dark  and  untenanted  mazes,  to  recognise  any 
single  member  of  those  countless  oaks,  and  beeches,  and 
pines  !  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Traverse  did  not  seem  to  regard 
David's  suggestion  as  so  very  extravagant,  for  he  turned 
towards  the  Indians  and  addressed  himself  to  them. 

"  How 's  this  ?"  he  asked  ;  "  Jumper,  do  you  know  any 
thing  of  the  sort  of  tree  I  have  described  ?" 

"  No,"  was  the  short,  sententious  answer. 

"  Then,  I  fear,  there  is  little  hope  that  Trackless  is  any 
wiser,  as  you  are  Mohawk  born,  and  he,  they  tell  me,  is  at 
bottom  an  Onondago.  What  say  you,  Trackless?  can  you 
help  us  to  find  the  tree  ?" 

My  eyes  were  fastened  on  Susquesus,  as  soon  as  the  In 
dians  were  mentioned.  There  he  stood,  straight  as  the 
trunk  of  a  pine,  light  and  agile  in  person,  with  nothing  but 
his  breech-cloth,  moccasins,  and  a  blue  calico  shirt  belted 
to  his  loins  with  a  scarlet  band,  through  which  was  thrust 
the  handle  of  his  tomahawk,  and  to  which  were  attached  his 
shot-pouch  and  horn,  while  his  rifle  rested  against  his  body, 
butt  downward.  Trackless  was  a  singularly  handsome 
Indian,  the  unpleasant  peculiarities  of  his  people  being  but 
faintly  portrayed  in  his  face  and  form ;  while  their  nobler 
and  finer  qualities  came  out  in  strong  relief.  His  nose  was 
almost  aquiline ;  his  eye,  dark  as  night,  was  restless  and 
piercing;  his  limbs  Apollo-like;  and  his  front  and  bearing 
had  all  the  fearless  dignity  of  a  warrior,  blended  with  the 
grace  of  nature.  The  only  obvious  defects  were  in  his  walk, 
which  was  Indian,  or  in-toed  and  bending  at  the  knee;  but, 


SATANSTOE.  315 

to  counterbalance  these,  his  movements  were  light,  springy 
and  swift.  I  fancied  him,  in  figure,  the  very  beau-ideal  of 
tt  runner. 

During  the  time  the  surveyor  was  speaking,  the  eye  of 
Susquesus  was  seemingly  fastened  on  vacancy,  and  I  would 
have  defied  the  nicest  observer  to  detect  any  consciousness  of 
what  was  in  hand,  in  the  countenance  of  this  forest  stoic. 
It  was  not  his  business  to  speak,  while  an  older  runner  and 
an  older  warrior  was  present — for  Jumper  was  both — and 
he  waited  for  others,  who  might  know  more,  to  reveal  their 
knowledge  ere  he  produced  his  own.  Thus  directly  ad 
dressed,  however,  all  reserve  vanished,  and  he  advanced  two 
or  three  steps,  cast  a  curious  glance  at  the  map,  even  put  a 
finger  on  the  river,  the  devious  course  of  which  it  followed 
across  the  map,  much  as  a  child  would  trace  any  similar 
object  that  attracted  his  attention.  Susquesus  knew  but 
little  of  maps,  it  was  clear  enough ;  but  the  result  showed 
that  he  knew  a  great  deal  about  the  woods,  his  native  field 
of  action. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  make  of  my  map,  Trackless,"  re 
peated  the  surveyor.  "  Is  it  riot  drawn  to  suit  your  fancy  ?" 

"  Good" — returned  the  Onondago,  with  emphasis.  "  Now 
show  Susquesus  your  oak  tree." 

"  Here  it  is,  Trackless.  You  see  it  is  a  tree  drawn  in 
ink,  with  a  broken  top,  and  here  are  the  three  chestnuts,  in 
a  sort  of  triangle,  around  it." 

The  Indian  examined  the  tree  with  some  interest,  and  a 
slight  smile  illumined  his  handsome,  though  dark  counte 
nance.  He  was  evidently  pleased  at  this  proof  of  accuracy 
in  the  colony  surveyors,  and,  no  doubt,  thought  the  better 
of  them  for  the  fidelity  of  their  work. 

"  Good,"  he  repeated,  in  his  low,  guttural,  almost  femi 
nine  voice,  so  soft  and  mild  in  its  tone.  "  Very  good.  The 
pale-faces  know  everything !  Now,  let  my  brother  find  the 
tree." 

"  That  is  easier  said  than  done,  Susquesus,"  answered 
Traverse,  laughing.  "  It  is  one  thing  to  sketch  a  tree  on  a 
map,  and  another  to  go  to  its  root,  as  it  stands  in  the  forest, 
surrounded  by  thousands  of  other  trees." 

"  Pale-face  must  first  see  him,  or  how  paint  him  1  Where 
painter  ?" 


316  SAT  A  NST  OE. 

"Ay,  the  surveyor  saw  the  tree  once,  and  marked  it  once, 
but  that  is  not  finding  it  again.  Can  you  tell  me  where  the 
oak  stands?  Mr.  Littlepage  will  give  the  man  who  finds 
that  corner  a  French  crown.  Put  me  anywhere  on  the  line 
of  the  old  survey,  and  I  will  ask  favours  of  no  one." 

"  Painted  tree  there"  said  Susquesus,  pointing  a  little 
scornfully  at  the  map,  as  it  seemed  to  me.  "  Pale-face  can't 
find  him  in  wood.  Live  tree  out  younder ;  Injin  know." 

Trackless  pointed  with  great  dignity  towards  the  north 
east,  standing  motionless  as  a  statue  the  while,  as  if  inviting 
the  closest  possible  scrutiny  into  the  correctness  of  his  asser 
tion. 

"  Can  you  lead  us  to  the  tree  ?"  demanded  Traverse, 
eagerly.  "  Do  it,  and  the  money  is  yours." 

Susquesus  made  a  significant  gesture  of  assent ;  then  he 
set  about  collecting  the  scanty  remains  of  his  dinner,  a  pre 
caution  in  which  we  imitated  him,  as  a  supper  would  be 
equally  agreeable  as  the  meal  just  taken,  a  few  hours  later. 
When  everything  was  put  away,  and  the  packs  were  on  our 
shoulders — not  on  those  of  the  Indians,  for  they  seldom  con 
descended  to  carry  burthens,  which  was  an  occupation  for 
women  —  Trackless  led  the  way,  in  the  direction  he  had 
already  pointed  out. 

Well  did  the  Onondago  deserve  his  name,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  while  he  threaded  his  way  through  that  gloomy  forest, 
without  path,  mark  or  sign  of  any  sort,  that  was  intelligible 
to  others.  His  pace  was  between  a  walk  and  a  gentle  trot, 
and  it  required  all  our  muscles  to  keep  near  him.  He 
looked  to  neither  the  right  nor  the  left,  but  appeared  to  pur 
sue  his  course  guided  by  an  instinct,  or  as  the  keen-scented 
hound  follows  the  viewless  traces  of  his  game.  This  lasted 
for  ten  minutes,  when  Traverse  called  another  halt,  and  we 
clustered  together  in  council. 

"  How  much  further  do  you  think  it  may  be  to  the  tree, 
Onondago?"  demanded  the  surveyor,  as  soon  as  the  whole 
party  was  collected  in  a  circle.  "  I  have  a  reason  for  ask 
ing." 

""So  many  minutes,"  answered  the  Indian,  holding  up 
five  fingers,  or  the  four  fingers  and  thumb  of  his  right  hand. 
1  Oak  with  broken  top,  and  pale-face  marks,  there" 

The  precision  and  confidence  with  which  the  Trackless 


SATANSTOE.  317 

pointed,  not  a  little  surprised  me,  for  I  could  not  imagine 
how  any  human  being  could  pretend  to  be  minutely  certain 
of  such  a  fact,  under  the  circumstances  in  which  we  were 
placed.  So  it  was,  however ;  and  so  it  proved  in  the  end. 
In  the  mean  time,  Traverse  proceeded  to  carry  out  his  own 
plans. 

"As  we  are  so  near  to  the  tree,"  he  said,  for  the  surveyor 
had  no  doubt  of  the  red-man's  accuracy,  "  we  must  also  be 
near  the  line.  The  last  runs  north  and  south,  on  this  part 
of  the  patent,  and  we  shall  shortly  cross  it.  Spread  your 
selves,  therefore,  chain-bearers,  and  look  for  blazed  trees ; 
for,  put  me  anywhere  on  the  boundaries,  and  1  '11  answer 
for  finding  any  oak,  beech,  or  maple,  that  is  mentioned  in 
the  corners." 

As  soon  as  this  order  was  received,  all  the  surveyor's 
men  obeyed,  opening  the  order  of  their  march,  and  spread 
ing  themselves  in  a  way  to  extend  their  means  of  observing 
materially.  When  all  was  ready,  a  sign  was  made  to  the 
Indian  to  proceed.  Susquesus  obeyed,  and  we  were  all 
soon  in  quick  motion  again. 

Guert's  activity  enabled  him  to  keep  nearest  to  the  Onon- 
dago,  and  a  shout  from  his  clear,  full  throat,  first  announced 
the  complete  success  of  the  search.  In  a  moment  the  rest 
of  us  pressed  forward,  and  were  soon  at  the  end  of  our  jour 
ney.  There  was  Susquesus,  quietly  leaning  against  the 
trunk  of  the  broken  oak,  without  the  smallest  expression  of 
triumph  in  either  his  manner  or  his  countenance.  That 
which  he  had  done,  he  had  done  naturally,  and  without  any 
apparent  effort  or  hesitation.  To  him  the  forest  had  its 
signs,  and  metes,  and  marks — as  the  inhabitant  of  the  vast 
capital  has  his  means  of  threading  its  mazes  with  the  readi 
ness  of  familiarity  and  habit.  As  for  Traverse,  he  first 
examined  the  top  of  the  tree,  where  he  found  the  indicated 
fracture  ;  then  he  looked  round  for  the  three  chestnuts,  each 
of  which  was  in  its  place  ;  after  which  he  drew  near  to  look 
into  the  more  particular  signs  of  his  craft.  There  they  were, 
three  of  the  inner  sides  of  the  oak  being  blazed,  the  proof  it 
was  a  corner ;  while  that  which  had  no  scar  on  its  surface 
looked  outward,  or  from  the  Patent  of  Mooseridge.  Just 
as  all  these  agreeable  facts  were  ascertained,  shouts  from 
the  chain-bearers  south  of  us,  announced  that  they  had  dis- 
27* 


318  SATANSTOB. 

covered  the  line— men  of  their  stamp  teing  quite  as  quick- 
sighted,  in  ascertaining  their  own  peculiar  traces,  as  the 
native  of  the  forest  is  in  finding  his  way  to  any  object  in  it 
which  he  has  once  seen,  and  may  desire  to  revisit.  By 
following  the  line,  these  men  soon  joined  us,  when  they 
gave  us  the  additional  information  that  they  had  also  actu 
ally  found  the  skeleton  of  the  moose  that  had  given  its  name 
to  the  estate. 

Thus  far,  all  was  well,  our  success  much  exceeding  our 
hopes.  The  hunters  were  sent  to  look  for  a  spring ;  and, 
one  being  found  at  no  great  distance,  we  all  repaired  to  the 
spot,  and  hutted  for  the  night.  Nothing  could  be  more 
simple  than  our  encampment;  which  consisted  of  coverings 
made  of  the  branches  of  trees,  with  leaves  and  skins  for  our 
beds.  Next  day,  however,  Traverse  finding  the  position 
favourable  for  his  work,  he  determined  to  select  the  spot  as 
head-quarters ;  and  we  all  set  about  the  erection  of  a  log- 
house,  in  which  we  might  seek  a  shelter  in  the  event  of  a 
storm,  and  where  we  might  deposit  our  implements,  spare 
ammunition,  and  such  stores  as  we  had  brought  with  us  on 
our  backs.  As  everybody  worked  with  good-will  at  the 
erection  of  this  rude  building,  and  the  labourers  were  very 
expert  with  the  axe,  we  had  it  nearly  complete  by  the  set 
ting  of  the  next  day's  sun.  Traverse  chose  the  place  be 
cause  the  water  was  abundant,  and  good,  and  because  a 
small  knoll  was -near  the  spring,  that  was  covered  with 
young  pines  that  were  about  fourteen  or  fifteen  inches  in 
diameter,  while  they  grew  to  the  height  of  near  a  hundred 
feet,  with  few  branches,  and  straight  as  the  Onondagp. 
These  trees  were  felled,  cut  into  lengths  of  twenty  and  thirty 
feet,  notched  at  the  ends,  and  rolled  alternately  on  each 
other,  so  as  to  enclose  an  area  that  was  one-third  longer 
than  it  was  wide.  The  notches  were  deep,  and  brought  the 
logs  within  two  or  three  inches  of  each  other  ;  and  the  inter 
stices  were  filled  with  pieces  of  riven  chestnut,  a  wood  that 
splits  easily  and  in  straight  lines ;  which  pieces  were  driven 
hard  into  their  beds,  so  as  to  exclude  the  winds  and  the 
rains.  As  the  weather  was  warm,  and  the  building  some 
what  airy  at  the  best,  we  cut  no  windows,  though  we  had 
a  narrow  door  in  the  centre  of  one  of  the  longer  sides.  For 
a  roof  we  used  the  bark  of  the  hemlock,  which,  at  that 


SATANSTOE.  319 

season,  came  off  in  large  pieces,  and  which  was  laid  on 
sticks,  raised  to  the  desired  elevation  by  means  of  a  ridge 
pole. 

All  this  was  making  no  more  than  one  of  the  common 
log-houses  of  the  new  settlements,  though  in  a  more  hurried 
and  a  less  artificial  manner  thaft  was  usual.  We  had  no 
chimney,  for  our  cooking  could  be  done  in  the  open  air; 
and  less  attention  was  paid  to  the  general  finish  of  the  work, 
than  might  have  been  the  case  had  we  expected  to  pass  the 
winter  there.  The  floor  was  somewhat  rude,  but  it  had  the 
effect  of  raising  us  from  the  ground,  and  giving  us  perfectly 
dry  lodgings  j  an  advantage  not  always  obtained  in  the 
woods.  It  was  composed  of  logs  roughly  squared  on  three 
sides,  and  placed  on  sleepers.  To  my  surprise,  Traverse 
directed  a  door  to  be  made  of  riven  logs,  that  were  pinned 
together  with  cross-pieces,  and  which  was  hung  on  the 
usual  wooden  hinges.  When  I  spoke  of  this  as  unnecessary 
labour,  occupying  two  men  an  entire  day  to  complete,  he 
reminded  me  that  we  were  much  in  advance  from  the  settle 
ments ;  that  an  active  war  was  being  waged  around  us,  and 
that  the  agents  of  the  French  had  been  very  busy  among 
our  own  tribes,  while  those  in  Canada  often  pushed  their 
war-parties  far  within  our  borders.  He  had  always  found 
a  great  satisfaction,  as  well  as  security,  in  having  a  sort  of 
citadel  to  retreat  to,  when  on  these  exposed  surveys ;  and 
he  never  neglected  the  necessary  precaution,  when  he  fan 
cied  himself  in  the  least  danger. 

We  were  quite  a  week  in  completing  our  house ;  though, 
after  the  first  day,  neither  the  surveyor  nor  his  chain-bear 
ers  troubled  themselves  with  the  labour,  any  further  than 
to  make  an  occasional  suggestion.  Traverse  and  his  men 
went  to  work  in  their  own  pursuit,  running  lines  to  divide 
the  patent  into  its  great  lots,  each  of  which  was  made  to 
contain  a  thousand  acres.  It  should  be  mentioned  that  all 
the  surveys,  in  that  day,  were  made  on  the  most  liberal 
scale,  our  forty  thousand  acres  turning  out,  in  the  end,  to 
amount  to  quite  three  thousand  more.  So  it  was  with  the 
subdivisions  of  the  Patent,  each  of  which  was  found  to  be 
of  more  than  the  nominal  dimensions.  Blazed  trees,  and 
records  cut  into  the  bark,  served  to  indicate  the  lines,  while 
a  map  went  on  pari  passu  with  the  labour,  the  field-book 


320  SATANSTOE.  * 

containing  a  description  of  each  lot,  in  order  that  the  pro 
prietor  of  the  estate  might  have  some  notions  of  the  nature 
of  its  soil  and  surface,  as  well  as  of  the  quality  and  sizes  of 
the  trees  it  bore. 

The  original  surveyor§,  those  on  whose  labours  the  pa 
tent  of  the  King  was  granted,  had  a  comparatively  trifling 
duty  to  perform.  So  long  as  they  gave  a  reasonably  accu 
rate  outline  of  an  area  that  would  contain  forty  thousand 
acres  of  land,  more  or  less,  and  did  not  trespass  on  any  prior 
grant,  no  material  harm  could  be  done,  there  being  no 
scarcity  of  surface  in  the  colony ;  but,  Mr.  Traverse  had  to 
descend  to  a  little  more  particularity.  It  is  true,  he  ran  out 
his  hundreds  of  acres  daily,  duly  marking  his  corners  and 
blazing  his  line  trees,  but  something  very  like  a  summer's 
work  fay  before  him.  This  he  understood,  and  his  proceed 
ings  were  as  methodical  and  deliberate  as  the  nature  of  his 
situation  required. 

In  a  very  few  days,  things  had  gotten  fairly  in  train,  and 
everybody  was  employed  in  some  manner  that  was  found  to 
be  useful.  The  surveying  party  was  making  a  very  satis 
factory  progress,  running  out  their  great  lots  between  sun 
and  sun,  while  Dirck  and  myself  made  the  notes  concerning 
their  quality,  under  the  dictation  of  Mr.  Traverse.  Guert 
did  little  besides  shoot  and  fish,  keeping  our  larder  well  sup 
plied  with  trout,  pigeons,  squirrels,  and  such  other  game  as 
the  season  would  allow,  occasionally  knocking  over  some 
thing  in  the  shape  of  poor  venison.  The  hunters  brought 
us  their  share  of  eatables  also ;  and  we  did  well  enough,  in 
this  particular,  more  especially  -*s  trout  proved  to  be  very 
abundant.  Yaap,  or  Jaap,  as  I  shall  call  him  in  future,  and 
Pete,  performed  domestic  duty,  acting  as  scullions  and  cooks, 
though  the  first  was  much  better  fitted  to  perform  the  ser 
vice  of  a  forester.  The  two  Indians  did  little  else,  for  the 
first  fortnight,  but  come  and  go  between  Ravensnest  and 
Mooseridge,  carrying  missives  and  acting  as  guides  to^the 
hunters,  who  went  through  once  or  twice  within  that  period, 
to  bring  us  out  supplies  of  flour,  groceries,  and  other  similar 
necessaries;  no  inducement  being  able  to  prevail  on  the 
Indians  to  carry  anything  that  approached  a  burthen,  either 
in  weight  or  appearance. 

The  surveying  party  did  not  always  return  to  the  hut  at 


SATANSTOE.  321 

night,  but  it  *  'camped  out,'  as  they  called  it,  whenever  tho 
work  led  them  to  a  distance  on  the  other  side  of  the  tract. 
Mr.  Traverse  had  chosen  his  position  for  head-quarters 
more  in  reference  to  its  proximity  to  the  settlement  at  Ravens- 
nest,  than  in  reference  to  its  position  on  the  Patent.  It  was 
sufficiently  central  to  the  latter,  as  regarded  a  north  and 
south  line,  but  was  altogether  on  the  western  side  of  the 
property.  As  his  surveys  extended  east,  therefore,  he  was 
often  carried  too  far  from  the  building  to  return  to  it  each 
night,  though  his  absences  never  extended  beyond  the  even 
ing  of  the  third  day.  In  consequence  of  this  arrangement, 
his  people  were  enabled  to  carry  the  food  they  required 
without  inconvenience,  for  the  periods  they  were  away^ 
coming  back  for  fresh  supplies  as  the  lines  brought  them 
west  again.  Sundays  were  strictly  observed  by  us  all,  as 
days  of  rest ;  a  respect  to  the  day  that  is  not  always  ob 
served  in  the  forest ;  he  who  is  in  the  solitude  of  the  woods, 
like  him  who  roams  athwart  the  wastes  of  the  ocean,  often 
forgetting  that  the  spirit  of  the  Creator  is  abroad  equally  on 
the  ocean  and  on  the  land,  ready  to  receive  that  homage  of 
his  creatures,  which  is  a  tribute  due  to  beneficence  without 
bounds,  a  holiness  that  is  spotless,  and  a  truth  that  is  inhe 
rent. 

As  Jumper,  or  the  Trackless,  returned  from  his  COD 
stantly  recurring  visits  to  our  neighbours,  we  young  men 
waited  with  impatience  for  the  letter  that  the  messenger  was 
certain  to  bear.  This  letter  was  sometimes  written  by  Her 
man  Mordaunt  himself,  but  oftener  by  Anneke,  or  Mary 
Wallace.  It  was  addressed  to  no  one  by  name,  but  uni 
formly  bore  the  superscription  of  '  To  the  Hermits  of  Moose- 
ridge  ;'  nor  was  there  anything  in  the  language  to  betray 
any  particular  attention  to  either  of  the  party.  We  might 
have  liked  it  better,  perhaps,  could  we  have  received  epistles 
that  were  a  little  more  pointed  in  this  particular ;  but  those 
we  actually  got  were  much  too  precious  to  leave  any  serious 
grounds  of  complaint.  One  from  Herman  Mordaunt  reached 
us  on  the  evening  of  the  second  Saturday,  when  our  whole 
party  was  at  home,  and  assembled  at  supper.  It  was  brought 
in  by  the  Trackless,  and,  among  other  matters,  contained 
this  paragraph : 

"  We  learn  that  things  hourly  assume  a  more  serious 


S  A  T  A  iN  S  T  O  E  . 

aspect  with  the  armies.  Our  troops  are  pushing  north,  in 
large  bodies,  and  the  French  are  said  to  be  reinforcing. 
Living  as  we  do,  out  of  the  direct  line  of  march,  and  fully 
thirty  miles  in  the  rear  of  the  old  battle-grounds,  I  should 
feel  no  apprehension,  were  it  not  for  a  report  I  hear,  that 
the  woods  are  full  of  Indians.  I  very  well  know  that  such 
a  report  invariably  accompanies  the  near  approach  of  hos 
tilities  in  the  frontier  settlements,  and  is  to  be  received  with 
many  grains  of  allowance ;  but  it  seems  so  probable  the 
French  should  push  their  savages  on  this  flank  of  our  army, 
to  annoy  it  on  the  advance,  that,  I  confess,  the  rumour  has 
some  influence  on  my  feelings.  We  have  been  fortifying 
still  more,-  and  I  would  advise  you  not  to  neglect  such  a 
precaution  altogether.  The  Canadian  Indians  are  said  to  be 
more  subtle  than  our  own ;  nor  is  government  altogether 
without  the  apprehension  that  our  own  have  been  tampered 
with.  It  was  said  at  Albany,  that  much  French  silver  had 
been  seen  in  the  hands  of  the  people  of  the  Six  Nations ;  and 
that  even  French  blankets,  knives,  and  tomahawks,  were 
more  plentiful  among  them  than  might  be  accounted  for  by 
the  ordinary  plunder  of  their  warfare.  One  of  your  run 
ners,  the  man  who  is  called  the  Trackless,  is  said  to  live 
out  of  his  own  tribe ;  and  such  Indians  are  always  to  be 
suspected.  Their  absence  is  sometimes  owing  to  reasons 
that  are  creditable ;  but  far  oftener  to  those  that  are  not'. 
It  may  be  well  to  have  an  eye  on  the  conduct  of  this  man. 
After  all,  we  are  in  the  hands  of  a  beneficent  and  gracious 
God,  and  we  know  how  often  his  mercy  has  saved  us,  on 
occasions  more  trying  than  this  !" 

This  letter  was  read  several  times,  among  ourselves,  in 
cluding  Mr.  Traverse.  As  the  oi  polloi  of  our  party  were 
eating  out  of  ear-shot,  and  the  Indians  had  left  us,  it  natu 
rally  induced  a  conversation  that  turned  on  the  risks  we  ran, 
and  on  the  probability  of  Susquesus's  being  false. 

"As  for  the  rumour  that  the  woods  are  full  of  Indians," 
the  surveyor  quietly  observed,  "  it  is  very  much  as  Herman 
Mordaunt  says — there  is  never  a  blanket  seen,  but  fame 
magnifies  it  into  a  whole  bale.  There  is  danger  to  be  ap 
prehended  from  savages,  I  will  allow,  but  not  one-half  that 
the  settlers  ordinarily  imagine.  As  for  the  French,  they 
are  likely  to  need  all'their  savages  at  Ty ;  for,  they  tell  me 


SATANSTOE.  323 

Gen.  Abercrombie  will  go  against  them  with  three  men  to 
their  one." 

"  With  that  superiority,  at  least,"  I  answered ;  "  but, 
after  all,  would  not  a  sagacious  officer  be  likely  to  annoy 
his  flank,  in  the  manner  here  mentioned  ?" 

"  We  are  every  mile  of  forty  to  the  eastward  of  the  line 
of  march  ;  and  why  should  parties  keep  so  distant  from  their 
enemies?" 

"  Even  such  a  supposition  would  place  our  foes  between 
us  and  our  friends ;  no  very  comfortable  consideration,  of 
itself.  But,  what  think  you  of  this  hint  concerning  the 
Onondago?" 

"  There  may  be  truth  in  that — more  than  in  the  report 
that  the  woods  are  full  of  savages.  It  is  usually  a  bad  sign 
when  an  Indian  quits  his  tribe;  and  this  runner  of  ours  is 
certainly  an  Onondago;  that  I  know,  for  the  fellow  has 
twice  refused  rum.  Bread  he  will  take,  as  often  as  offered  ; 
but  rum  has  not  wet  his  lips,  since  I  have  seen  him,  offered 
in  fair  weather  or  foul." 

"  T'at  is  a  bad  sign" — put  in  Guert,  a  little  dogmatically 
for  him.  "  T'e  man  t'at  refuses  his  glass,  in  good  company, 
has  commonly  something  wrong  in  his  morals.  I  always 
keep  clear  of  such  chaps." 

Poor  Guert ! — How  true  that  was,  and  what  an  influence 
the  opinion  had  on  his  character  and  habits.  As  for  the 
Indian,  I  could  not  judge  him  so  harshly.  There  was  some 
thing  in  his  countenance  that  disposed  me  to  put  confidence 
in  him,  at  the  very  moment  his  cold,  abstracted  manners — 
cold  and  abstracted  even  for  a  red-skin  in  pale-face  com 
pany — created  doubts  and  distrust. 

"  Certainly,  nothing  is  easier  than  for  a  man  in  his  situa 
tion  to  sell  us,"  I  answered,  after  a  short  pause,  "  if  he  be 
so  disposed.  But,  what  could  the  French  gain  by  cutting 
off  a  party  as  peaceably  employed  as  this?  It  can  be  of  no 
moment  to  them,  whether  Mooseridge  be  surveyed  into  lots 
this  year,  or  the  next." 

"  Quite  true  ;  and  I  am  of  opinion  that  Mons.  Montcalm 
is  very  indifferent  whether  it  be  ever  surveyed  at  all,"  re 
turned  Traverse,  who  was  an  intelligent  and  tolerably  edu 
cated  man.  '*  You  forget,  however,  Mr.  Littlepage,  that 
both  parties  offer  such  things  as  premiums  on  scalps. 


324  SATANSTOE. 

A  Huron  may  not  care  about  our  lines,  corners,  and  marked 
trees ;  but  he  does  care,  a  great  deal,  whether  he  is  to  go 
home  with  an  empty  string,  or  with  half-a-dozen  human 
scalps  at  his  girdle." 

I  observed  that  Dirck  thrust  his  fingers  through  his  bushy 
hair,  and  that  his  usually  placid  countenance  assumed  an 
indignant  and  semi-ferocious  appearance.  A  little  amused 
at  this,  I  walked  towards  the  log  on  which  Susquesus  was 
seated,  having  ended  his  meal,  in  silent  thought. 

"  What  news  do  you  bring  us  from  the  red-coats,  Track 
less  ?"  I  asked,  with  as  much  of  an  air  of  indifference  as  I 
could  assume.  "Are  they  out  in  sufficient  numbers  to  eat 
the  French  ?" 

"  Look  at  leaves  ;  count  'em  ;"  answered  the  Indian. 

"  Yes,  I  know  they  are  in  force ;  but,  what  are  the  red 
skins  about?  Is  the  hatchet  buried,  among  the  Six  Na 
tions,  that  you  are  satisfied  with  being  a  runner,  when 
scalps  may  be  had  near  Ticonderoga  ?" 

"  Susquesus  Onondago" — the  red-man  replied,  laying  a 
strong  emphasis  on  the  name  of  his  tribe.  "  No  Mohawk 
blood  run  in  him.  His  people  no  dig  up  hatchet,  this  sum 
mer." 

"  Why  not,  Trackless  ?  You  are  allies  of  the  Yengeese, 
and  ought  to  give  us  your  aid,  when  it  is  wanted." 

"  Count  leaves  —  count  Yengeese.  Too  much  for  one 
army.  No  want  Onondago." 

"  That  may  be  true,  possibly,  for  we  are  certainly  very 
strong.  But,  how  is  it  with  the  woods — are  they  altogether 
clear  of  red-skins,  in  times  as  troublesome  as  these?" 

Susquesus  looked  grave,  but  he  made  no  answer.  Still, 
he  did  not  endeavour  to  avoid  the  keen  look  I  fastened  on 
his  face,  but  sat  composed,  rigid,  and  gazing  before  him. 
Knowing  the  uselessness  of  attempting  to  get  anything  out 
of  an  Indian,  when  he  was  indisposed  to  be  communicative, 
I  thought  it  wisest  to  change  the  discourse.  This  I  did  by 
making  a  few  general  inquiries  as  to  the  state  of  the  streams, 
all  of  which  were  answered,  when  I  walked  away. 


SATANSTOE.  325 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

«  Fear  not,  till  Birnam  Wood 
Shall  come  to  Dunsinane." 

Macbeth. 

I  CANNOT  say  I  was  quite  satisfied  with  the  manner  of 
Susquesus ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  was  I  absolutely  un 
easy.  All  might  be  well ;  and,  if  it  were  not,  the  power  of 
-this  man  to  injure  us  could  not  be  very  great.  A  new  oc 
currence,  however,  raised  very  unpleasant  doubts  of  his 
honesty.  Jumper  being  out  on  a  hunt,  the  Onondago  was 
sent  across  to  Ravensnest  the  next  trip,  out  of  his  turn  ;  but, 
instead  of  returning,  as  had  been  the  practice  of  both,  the 
next  day,  we  saw  no  more  of  him  for  near  a  fortnight.  As 
we  talked  over  this  sudden  and  unexpected  disappearance, 
we  came  to  the  conclusion,  that,  perceiving  he  was  dis 
trusted,  the  fellow  had  deserted,  and  would  be  seen  no  more. 
During  his  absence,  we  paid  a  visit  to  Ravensnest  ourselves, 
spending  two  or  three  happy  days  with  the  girls,  whom  we 
found  delighted  with  the  wildness  of  their  abode,  and  as 
happy  as  innocence,  health,  and  ceaseless  interest  in  the 
forest  and  its  habits,  could  make  them.  Herman  Mordaunt, 
having  fortified  his  house  sufficiently,  as  he  fancied,  to  re 
move  all  danger  of  an  assault,  returned  with  us  to  Moose- 
ridge,  and  passed  two  or  three  days  in  walking  over  and 
examining  the  quality  of  the  land,  together  with  the  advan 
tages  offered  by  the  water-courses.  As  for  Mr.  Worden 
and  Jason,  the  former  had  gone  to  join  the  army,  craving 
the  flesh-pots  of  a  regimental  mess,  in  preference  to  the 
simple  fare  of  the  woods ;  while  Jason  had  driven  a  hard 
bargain  with  Herman  Mordaunt  for  the  possession  of 'the 
mill-seat ;  which  had  been  the  subject  of  frequent  discus 
sions  between  the  parties,  and  about  which  the  pedagogue 
had  deemed  it  prudent  to  draw  on  the  wisdom  of  Mother 
Doortje.  As  the  reader  may  have  some  curiosity  to  Know 
how  such  things  were  conducted  in  the  colony,  in  the  year 
1758, 1  will  recapitulate  the  terms  of  the  bargain  that  was 
finally  agreed  on,  signed  a  ad  sealed. 
28 


gATANSTOB. 

Herman  Mordaunt  expected  no  emolument  to  himself, 
from  Ravensnest)  but  looked  forward  solely  to  a  provision 
for  posterity.  In  consequence  of  these  views,  he  refused  to 
sell,  but  gave  leases  on  such  conditions  as  would  induce 
tenants  to  come  into  his  terms,  in  a  country  in  which  land 
was  far  plentier  than  men.  For  some  reason,  that  never 
was  very  clear  to  me,  he  was  particularly  anxious  to  secure 
Jason  Newcome,  and  no  tolerable  terms  seemed  extravagant 
to  effect  his  purpose.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that 
our  miller  in  perspective  got  much  the  best  of  the  bargain, 
as  its  conditions  will  show. 

The  lease  was  for  three  lives,  and  twenty-one  years  after 
wards.  This  would  have  been  thought  equal  to  a  lease  for 
forty-two  years,  in  that  day,  in  Europe ;  but  experience  is 
showing  that  it  is,  in  truth,  for  a  much  longer  period,  in 
America.*  The  first  ten  years,  no  rent  at  all  was  to  be 
paid.  For  the  next  ten,  the  land,  five  hundred  acres,  was 
to  pay  sixpence  currency  an  acre,  the  tenant  having  the 
right  to  cut  timber  at  pleasure.  This  was  a  great  conces 
sion,  as  the  mill-lot  contained  much  pine.  For  the  remain 
der  of  the  lease,  be  it  longer  or  shorter,  a  shilling  an 
acre,  or  about  sixpence  sterling,  was  to  be  paid  for  the  land, 
and  forty  pounds  currency,  or  one  hundred  dollars  a  year, 
for  the  mill-seat.  The  mills  to  be  taken  by  the  landlord,  at 
an  appraisal  '  made  by  men',  at  the  expiration  of  the  lease  ; 
the  tenant  to  pay  the  taxes.  The  tenant  had  the  privilege 
of  using  all  the  materials  for  his  dams,  buildings,  &c.,  he 
could  find  on  the  land. 

The  policy  of  the  owners  of  Mooseridge  was  different. 
We  intended  to  sell  at  low  prices,  at  first,  reserving  for 
leases  hereafter,  such  farms  as  could  not  be  immediately 
disposed  of,  or  for  which  the  purchaser  failed  to  pay.  In 
this  manner  it  was  thought  we  should  sooner  get  returns  for 
our  outlays,  and  sooner  '  build  up  a  settlement,'  as  the 
phrase  goes.  In  America,  the  reader  should  know,  every 
thing  is  '  built.'  The  priest  '  builds  up'  a  flock  ;  the  specu 
lator,  a  fortune ;  the  lawyer,  a  reputation  ;  and  the  landlord, 
a  settlement;  sometimes,  with  sufficient  accuracy  in  lan 
guage,  he  even  builds  a  town. 

*  It  has  been  found  that  a  three  lives'  lease,  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  is  equal  to  a  term  of  more  than  thirty  years.  —  EDITOR. 


SATANSTOE.  327 

Jason  was  a  very  happy  man,  the  moment  he  got  his 
lease,  signed  and  sealed,  in  his  own  possession.  It  made 
him  a  sort  of  a  land-holder  on  the  spot,  and  one  who  had 
nothing  to  pay  for  ten  years  to  come.  God  forgive  me,  if  1 
do  the  man  injustice ;  but,  from  the  first,  I  had  a  suspicion 
that  Jason  trusted  to  fortune  to  prevent  any  pay-day  from 
ever  coming  at  all.  As  for  Herman  Mordaunt,  he  seemed 
satisfied,  for  he  fancied  that  he  had  got  a  man  of  some  edu 
cation  on  his  property,  who  might  answer  a  good  purpose 
in  civilizing,  and  in  otherwise  advancing  the  interests  of  his 
estate. 

Just  as  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun  streamed  through  the 
crevices  of  our  log  tenement,  and  ere  one  of  us  three  idlers 
had  risen  from  his  pallet,  I  heard  a  moccasined  foot  moving 
near  me,  in  the  nearly  noiseless  tread  of  an  Indian.  Spring 
ing  to  my  feet,  I  found  myself  face  to  face  with  the  missing 
Onondago ! 

"  You  here,  Susquesus  !"  I  exclaimed  ;  "  we  supposed 
you  had  abandoned  us.  What  has  brought  you  back  ?" 

"  Time  to  go,  now,"  answered  the  Indian,  quietly. 
"  Yengeese  and  Canada  warrior  soon  fight." 

"  Is  this  true  ! — And  do  you,  can  you  know  it  to  be  true  ! 
Where  have  you  been  this  fortnight  past?" 

"Been  see — have  see — know  him  just  so.  Come — call 
young  men ;  go  on  war-path." 

Here,  then,  was  an  explanation  of  the  mystery  of  the 
Onondago's  absence !  He  had  heard  us  speak  of  an  inten 
tion  of  moving  with  the  troops,  at  the  last  moment,  and  he 
had  gone  to  reconnoitre,  in  order  that  we  might  have  season 
able  notice  when  it  would  be  necessary  to  quit  the  '  Ridge,' 
as  we  familiarly  termed  the  Patent.  I  saw  nothing  treason 
able  in  this,  but  rather  deemed  it  a  sign  of  friendly  interest 
in  our  concerns ;  though  it  was  certainly  '  running'  much 
farther  than  the  Indian  had  been  directed  to  proceed,  and 
*  running'  a  little  off  the  track.  One  might  overlook  such 
an  irregularity  in  a  savage,  however,  more  especially  as  I 
began  to  weary  of  the  monotony  of  our  present  manner  of 
living,  and  was  not  sorry  to  discover  a  plausible  apology  for 
a  change. 

The  reader  may  be  certain,  it  was  not  long  before  I  had 
communicated  the  intelligence  brought  by  the  Trackless,  to 


328  SATANSTOE. 

my  companions ;  who  received  it  as  young  men  would  be 
apt  to  listen  to  tidings  so  stirring.  The  Onondago  was 
summoned  to  our  council,  and  he  renewed  his  protestation 
that  it  was  time  for  us  to  be  moving. 

"  No  stop" —  he  answered,  when  questioned  again  on  the 
subject;  "time  go.  Canoe  ready — gun  loaded— warrior 
counted  —  chief  woke  up  —  council  fire  gone  out.  Time, 
go." 

"  Well  then,  Corny,"  said  Guert,  rising  and  stretching 
his  fine  frame  like  a  lion  roused  from  his  lair,  "  here 's  ofT. 
We  can  go  to  Ravensnest  to  sleep,  to-day ;  and,  to-morrow 
we  wtll  work  our  way  out  into  the  highway,  and  fall  into 
the  line  of  march  of  the  army.  I  shall  have  another  oppor 
tunity  of  seeing  Mary  Wallace,  and  of  telling  her  how  much 
I  love  her.  That  will  be  so  much  gained,  at  all  events." 

"  No  see  squaw — no  go  to  Nest !"  said  the  Indian,  with 
energy.  "  War-path  this  way,"  pointing  in  a  direction  that 
might  have  varied  a  quarter  of  a  circle  from  that  to  Herman 
Mordaunt's  settlement.  "  Bad  for  warrior  to  see  squaw 
when  he  dig  up  hatchet — only  make  woman  of  him.  No ; 
go  this  way — path  there — no  here — scalp  there — squaw 
here." 

As  the  gestures  of  the  Onondago  were  quite  as  significant 
as  his  language,  we  had  no  difficulty  in  understanding  him. 
Guert  continued  his  questions,  however,  while  dressing,  and 
we  all  soon  became  convinced,  by  the  words  of  the  Indian, 
broken  and  abrupt  as  they  were,  that  Abercrombie  was  on 
the  point  of  embarking  with  his  army  on  Lake  George,  and 
that  we  must  needs  be  active,  if  we  intended  to  be  present 
at  the  contemplated  operations  in  front  of  Ticonderoga. 

Our  decision  was  soon  reached,  and  our  preparations 
made.  By  packing  and  shouldering  his  knapsack,  and 
arming  himself,  each  man  would  be  ready  ;  though  a  short 
delay  grew  out  of  the  absence  of  Traverse  and  his  chain- 
bearers.  We  wrote  a  letter,  however,  explaining  the  reason 
of  our  intended  absence,  promising  to  return  as  soon  as  the 
operations  in  front  of  Ty  should  be  terminated.  This  letter 
we  left  with  Pete,  who  was  to  remain  as  cook,  though  Jaap 
bestirred  himself,  loaded  his  broad  shoulders  with  certain 
indispensables  for  our  march,  took  his  rifle,  pack  and  horn, 
and  was  ready  to  move  as  soon  as  any  of  us.  All  this  the 


SATANSTOE.  329 

fellow  did,  moreover,  without  orders;  deeming  it  a  part  of 
his  duty  to  follow  his  young  master,  even  if  he  followed 
him  to  evil.  No  dog,  indeed,  could  be  truer,  in  this  particu 
lar,  than  Jaap  or  Jacob  Satanstoe,  for  he  had  adopted  the 
name  of  the  Neck  as  his  patronymic ;  much  as  the  nobles 
of  other  regions  style  themselves  after  their  lands. 

When  all  was  ready,  and  we  were  on  the  point  of  quit 
ting  the  hut,  the  question  arose  seriously,  whether  we  were 
to  go  by  Ravensnest,  or  by  the  new  route  that  the  Onondago 
had  mentioned.  Path  there  was  not,  in  either  direction ; 
but,  we  had  land-marks,  springs,  and  other  known  signs, 
on  the  former;  while  of  the  latter  we  literally  knew  nothing. 
Then  Arineke  and  Mary  Wallace,  with  their  bright,  bloom 
ing,  sunny  faces — bright  and  happy  whenever  we  appeared, 
most  certainly,  of  late — were  in  the  former  direction,  and 
even  Dirck  cried  out  *  for  Ravensnest.'  But,  on  that  route 
the  Onondago  refused  to  stir  one  foot.  He  stood,  resembling 
a  finger-post,  pointing  north-westerly  with  an  immovable 
obstinacy,  that  threatened  to  bring  the  order  of  our  march 
into  some  confusion. 

"We  know  nothing' of  that  route,  Trackless,"  Guert  ob 
served,  or  rather  replied,  for  the  Indian's  manner  was  so 
expressive  as  to  amount  to  a  remark,  "and  we  would  rather 
travel  a  road  with  which  we  are  a  little  acquainted.  Be 
sides,  we  wish  to  pay  our  parting  compliments  to  the 
ladies." 

"  Squaw  no  good,  now  —  war-path  no  go  to  squaw. 
Huron — French  warrior,  here." 

"Ay,  and  they  are  there,  too.  We  shall  be  on  their  heels 
soon  enough,  by  going  to  Ravensnest." 

"  No  soon  'nough — can't  do  him.  Path  long,  time  short. 
Pale-face  warrior  in  great  hurry." 

"  Pale-face  warriors'  friends  are  in  a  hurry,  too — so  you 
will  do  well  to  follow  us,  as  we  do  not  intend  to  follow  you. 
Come,  gentlemen,  we  will  lead  the  Indian,  as  the  Indian 
does  not  seem  disposed  to  lead  us.  After  a  mile  or  two  he 
will  think  it  more  honourable  to  go  in  advance ;  and,  for 
tfat  distance,  I  believe,  I  can  show  you  the  way." 

"  That  road  good  for  young  men  who  don't  want  see 
enemy !"  said  Susquesus,  with  ironical  point. 

" By  St.  Nicholas !  Indian,  what  do  you  mean?"  cried 
28* 


330  SATANSTOE. 

Guert,  turning  short  on  his  heels  and  moving  swiftly  to 
wards  the  Onondago,  who  did  not  wait  for  the  menacing 
blow,  but  wheeled  in  his  tracks  and  led  off,  at  a  quick  pace, 
directly  towards  the  north-west. 

I  do  believe  that  Guert  pursued,  lor  the  first  minute,  with 
no  other  intention  than  that  of  laying  his  powerful  arm  on 
the  offender's  shoulder;  but  I  dropped  in  on  his  footsteps  so 
soon,  Dirck  following  me,  and  Jaap  Dirck,  that  we  were  all 
moving  off  Indian  file,  or  in  the  fashion  of  the  woods,  at  the 
rate  of  four  miles  in  the  hour,  almost  before  we  knew  it. 
An  impulse  of  that  angry  nature  is  not  over  in  a  minute, 
and,  before  either  of  us  had  sufficiently  cooled  to  be  entirely 
reasonable,  the  whole  party  was  fairly  out  of  sight  of  the 
hut.  After  that  no  one  appeared  to  think  of  the  necessity 
or  of  the  expediency  of  reverting  to  the  original  intention. 
It  was  certainly  indiscreet,  thus  to  confide  absolutely  in  the 
good  faith  of  a  savage,  or  a  semi-savage,  at  least,  whom  we 
scarcely  knew,  and  whom  we  had  actually  distrusted  ;  but 
we  did  it,  and  precisely  in  the  manner  and  under  the  feelings 
I  have  described.  I  know  that  we  all  thought  of  the  indis 
cretion  of  which  we  had  been  guilty,  after  the  first  mile; 
but  each  was  too  proud  to  make  the  other  acquainted  with 
his  misgivings.  I  say  all,  but  Jaap  ought  to  be  excepted, 
for  nothing  in  the  shape  of  danger  ever  gave  that  negro  any 
concern,  unless  it  was  spooks.  He  was  afraid  of  '  spooks,' 
but  he  did  not  fear  man. 

Susquesus  manifested  the  same  confidence  in  his  know 
ledge  of  the  woods,  while  now  leading  the  way,  league  after 
league  through  the  dark  forest,  as  he  had  done  when  he  took 
us  to  the  oak  with  the  broken  top.  On  this  occasion,  he 
guided  us  more  by  the  sun,  and  the  course  generally,  than 
by  any  acquaintance  with  objects  that  we  passed  ;  though, 
three  times  that  day  did  he  point  out  to  us  particular  things 
that  he  had  before  seen,  while  traversing  the  woods  in  direc 
tions  that  crossed,  at  angles  more  or  less  oblique,  the  line  of. 
our  present  route.  As  for  us,  it  was  like  a  sailor's  pointing 
to  a  path  on  the  trackless  ocean.  We  had  our  pocket- 
compasses,  it  is  true,  aid  understood  well  enough  that  a 
north-west  course  would  bring  us  out  somewhere  near  the 
foot  of  Lake  George;  bu  I  much  doubt  if  we  could  have 


SATANSTOE.  331 

made,  by  any  means,  as  direct  a  line,  by  their  aid,  as  we 
did  by  that  of  the  Indian. 

On  this  subject  we  had  a  discussion  among  ourselves,  I 
well  remember,  when  we  halted  to  eat  and  rest,  a  little  after 
the  turn  of  the  day.  For  five  hours  had  we  walked  with 
great  rapidity,  much  as  the  bird  flies,  so  far  as  course  was 
concerned,  never  turning  aside,  unless  it  might  be  to  avoid 
some  impassable  obstacle ;  and  our  calculation  was  that  we 
had  made  quite  twenty,  of  the  forty  miles  we  had  to  go  over, 
according  to  the  Onondago's  account  of  the  probable  length 
of  our  journey.  We  had  strung  our  sinews  and  hardened 
our  muscles  in  such  a  way  as  to  place  us  above  the  influ 
ence  of  common  fatigue ;  yet,  it  must  be  confessed,  the  In 
dian  was  much  the  freshest  of  the  five,  when  we  reached 
the  spring  where  we  dined. 

"An  Indian  does  seem  to  have  a  nose  much  like  that  of 
a  hound,"  said  Guert,  as  our  appetites  began  to  be  appeased; 
"  that  must  be  admitted.  Yet  I  think,  Corny,  a  compass 
would  carry  a  man  through  the  woods  with  more  certainty 
than  any  signs  on  the  bark  of  trees,  or  looks  at  the  sun." 

"A  compass  cannot  err,  of  course;  but  it  would  be  a 
troublesome  thing  to  be  stopping  every  minute  or  two,  to 
look  at  your  compass,  which  must  have  time  to  become 
steady,  you  will  remember,  or  it  would  become  a  guide  that 
is  worse  than  none." 

"  Every  minute  or  two  !  Say  once  in  an  hour,  or  once 
in  half  an  hour,  at  most.  I  would  engage  to  travel  as 
straight  as  the  best  Indian  of  them  all,  by  looking  at  my 
compass  once  in  half  an  hour." 

Susquesus  was  seated  near  enough  to  us  three  to  over 
hear  our  conversation,  and  he  understood  English  perfectly, 
though  he  spoke  it  in  the  usual,  clipped  manner  of  an  Indian. 
I  thought  I  could  detect  a  covert  gleam  of  contempt  in  his 
dark  countenance,  at  this  boast  of  Guert's  ;  but  he  made  no 
remark.  We  finished  our  meal,  rested  our  legs,  and,  when 
our  watches  told  us  it  was  one  o'clock,  we  rose  in  a  body 
to  resume  our  march.  We  were  renewing  the  priming  of 
our  rifles,  a  precaution  each  man  took  twice  every  day,  to 
prevent  the  effects  of  the  damps  of  the  woods,  when  the 
Onondago  quietly  fell  in  behind  Guert,  patiently  waiting  the 
leisure  of  the  latter. 


332  SATANSTOE. 

"  We  are  all  ready,  Trackless,"  cried  the  Albanian ; 
*  give  us  the  lead  and  the  step,  as  before." 

"  No"  —  answered  the  Indian.  "  Compass  lead,  now 
Susquesus  no  see  any  longer, — blind  as  young  dog." 

"  Oh  !  that  is  your  game,  is  it !  Well,  let  it  be  so.  Now, 
Corny,  you  shall  learn  the  virtue  there  is  in  a  compass." 

Hereupon  Guert  drew  his  compass  from  a  pocket  in  his 
hunting-shirt,  placed  it  on  a  log,  in  order  to  get  a  perfectly 
accurate  start,  and  waited  until  the  quivering  needle  had 
become  perfectly  stationary.  Then  he  made  his  observa 
tion,  and  took  a  large  hemlock,  which  stood  at  the  distance 
of  some  twenty  rods,  a  great  distance  for  a  sight  in  the 
forest,  as  his  land-mark,  gave  a  shout,  caught  up  his  com 
pass,  and  led  off.  We  followed,  of  course,  and  soon  reached 
the  tree.  As  Guert  now  fancied  he  was  well  entered  on  the 
right  course,  he  disdained  to  turn  to  renew  his  observation, 
but  called  out  for  us  to  *  come  on ;'  as  he  had  a  new  tree 
for  his  guide,  and  that  in  the  true  direction.  We  may 
have  proceeded  in  this  manner  for  half  a  mile,  and  I  began 
to  think  that  Guert  was  about  to  triumph — for,  to  me,  it  did 
really  seem  that  our  course  was  as  straight  as  it  had  been 
at  any  time  that  day.  Guert  now  began  to  brag  of  his  suc 
cess,  talking  to  me,  and  at  the  Indian,  who  was  between  us, 
over  his  shoulder. 

"  You  see,  Corny,"  he  said,  "  I  am  used  to  the  bush, 
after  all,  and  have  often  been  up  among  the  Mohawks,  and 
on  their  hunts.  The  great  point  is  to  begin  right ;  after 
which  you  can  have  no  great  trouble.  Make  certain  of  the 
first  ten  rods,  and  you  can  be  at  ease  about  the  ten  thou 
sand  that  are  to  follow.  So  it  is  with  life,  Corny,  boy ; 
begin  right,  and  a  young  man  is  pretty  certain  of  coming 
out  right.  I  made  a  mistake  at  the  start,  and  you  see  the 
trouble  it  has  given  me.  But,  I  was  left  an  orphan,  Little- 
page,  at  ten  years  of  age ;  and  the  boy  that  has  neither  father 
nor  money,  must  be  an  uncommon  boy  not  to  kick  himself 
out  of  the  traces  before  he  is  twenty.  Well,  Onondago, 
what  do  you  say  to  following  the  compass,  now !" 

"  Best  look  at  him — he  tell,"  answered  Susquesus,  our 
whole  line  halting  to  let  Guert  comply. 

"  This  d d  compass  will  never  come  round  !"  exclaimed 

Guert,  shaking  the  little  instrument  in   order  to  help  the 


SATANSTOS.  333 

needle  round  to  the  point  at  which  he  wished  to  see  it  stand. 
"  These  little  devils  are  very  apt  to  get  out  of  order,  Corny, 
after  all." 

"  Try  more — got  three" — said  the  Indian,  holding  up  the 
number  of  fingers  he  mentioned,  as  was  his  wont,  when 
mentioning  numbers  of  any  sort. 

On  this  hint  Dirck  and  I  drew  out  our  compasses,  and 
the  three  were  placed  on  a  log,  at  the  side  of  which  we  had 
come  to  our  halt.  The  result  showed  that  the  three  « little 
devils'  agreed  most  accurately,  and  that  we  were  marching 
exactly  south-east,  instead  of  north-west !  Guert  looked,  on 
that  occasion,  very  much  as  he  did  when  he  rose  from  the 
snow,  after  the  hand-sled  had  upset  with  us.  There  was  no 
resisting  the  truth ;  we  had  got  turned  completely  round, 
without  knowing  it.  The  fact  that  the  sun  was  so  near  the 
zenith,  probably  contributed  to  our  mistake ;  but,  any  one 
who  has  tried  the  experiment,  will  soon  ascertain  how  easy 
it  is  for  him  to  lose  his  direction,  beneath  the  obscurity  and 
amid  the  inequalities  of  a  virgin  forest.  Guert  gave  it  up, 
like  a  man  as  he  was,  and  the  Indian  again  passed  in  front, 
without  the  slightest  manifestation  of  triumph  or  discontent. 
It  required  nothing  less  than  a  thunderbolt  to  disturb  the 
composure  of  that  Onondago  ! 

From  that  moment  our  progress  was  as  swift  as  it  had 
been  previously  to  the  halt ;  while  our  course  was  seemingly 
as  unerring  as  the  flight  of  the  pigeon.  Susquesus  did  not 
steer  exactly  north-west,  as  before,  however,  but  he  inclined 
more  northerly.  At  length,  it  was  just  as  the  sun  ap 
proached  the  summits  of  the  western  mountains,  an  opening 
appeared  in  our  front,  beneath  the  arches  of  the  woods,  and 
we  knew  that  a  lake  was  near  us,  and  that  we  were  on  the 
summit  of  high  land,  though  at  what  precise  elevation  could 
not  yet  be  told.  Our  route  had  lain  across  hills,  and  through 
valleys,  and  along  small  streams ;  though,  as  I  afterwards 
ascertained,  the  Hudson  did  not  run  far  enough  north  to 
intercept  our  march ;  or  rather,  by  a  sudden  turn  to  the 
west,  it  left  our  course  clear.  Had  we  inclined  westwardly 
ourselves,  we  might  have  almost  done  that  which  Col.  Pol 
lock  had  once  laughingly  recommended  to  my  mother,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  dangers  of  the  Powles  Hook  Ferry,  gone 
round  the  river. 


334  SATANSTOE. 

A  clearing  now  showed  itself  a  little  on  our  right ;  and 
thither  the  Indian  held  his  way.  This  clearing  was  not  the 
result  of  the  labours  of  man,  but  was  the  fruit  of  one  of  those 
forest  accidents  that  sometimes  let  in  the  light  of  the  sun 
upon  the  mysteries  of  the  woods.  This  clearing  was  on  the 
bald  cap  of  a  rocky  mountain,  where  Indians  had  doubtless 
often  encamped ;  the  vestiges  of  their  fires  proving  that  the 
winds  had  been  assisted  by  the  sister  element,  in  clearing 
away  the  few  stunted  trees  that  had  once  grown  in  the 
fissures  of  the  rocks.  As  it  was,  there  might  have  been  an 
open  space  of  some  two  or  three  acres,  that  was  now  as 
naked  as  if  it  had  never  known  any  vegetation  more  ambi 
tious  than  the  bush  of  the  whortleberry  or  the  honeysuckle. 
Delicious  water  was  spouting  from  a  higher  ridge  of  the 
rocks,  that  led  away  northerly,  forming  the  summit  of  an 
extensive  range  in  that  direction.  At  this  spring  Susquesus 
stooped  to  drink  ;  then  he  announced  that  our  day's  work 
was  done. 

Until  this  announcement,  I  do  not  believe  that  oqp  of  us 
all  had  taken  the  time  to  look  about  him,  so  earnest  and 
rapid  had  been  our  march.  Now,  however,  each  man  threw 
aside  his  pack,  laid  down  his  rifle,  and,  thus  disencumbered, 
we  turned  to  gaze  on  one  of  the  most  surprisingly  beautiful 
scenes  eye  of  mine  had  ever  beheld. 

From  what  I  have  read  and  heard,  I  am  now  fully  aware, 
that  the  grandest  of  our  American  scenery  falls  far  behind 
that  which  is  to  be  found  among  the  lakes  and  precipices  of 
the  Alps,  and  along  the  almost  miraculous  coast  of  the  Me 
diterranean  ;  and  I  shall  not  pretend  that  the  view  I  now 
beheld  approached  many,  in  magnificence,  that  are  to  be 
met  with  in  those  magic  regions.  Nevertheless,  it  was  both 
grand  and  soft ;  and  it  had  one  element  of  vastness,  in  the 
green  mantle  of  its  interminable  woods,  that  is  not  often  to 
be  met  with  in  countries  that  have  long  submitted  to  the 
sway  of  man.  Such  as  it  was,  I  shall  endeavour  to  de 
scribe  it. 

Beneath  us,  at  the  distance  of  near  a  thousand  feet,  lay  a 
lake  of  the  most  limpid  and  placid  water,  that  was  beautifully 
diversified  in  shape,  by  means  of  bluffs,  bays,  and  curvatures 
of  the  shores,  and  which  had  an  extent  of  near  forty  miles. 
We  were  on  its  eastern  margin,  and  about  one-third  of  the 


k  SATANSTOE.  335 

distance  from  its  southern  to  its  northern  end.  Countless 
islands  lay  almost  under  our  feet,  rendering  the  mixture  of 
land  and  water,  at  that  particular  point,  as  various  and  fan- 
ciful  as  the  human  imagination  could  desire.  To  the  north, 
the  placid  sheet  extended  a  great  distance,  bounded  by  rocky 
precipices,  passing  by  a  narrow  gorge  into  a  wider  and 
larger  estuary  beyond.  To  the  south,  the  water  lay  ex 
panded  to  its  oval  termination,  with  here  and  there  an 
island  to  relieve  the  surface.  In  that  direction  only,  were 
any  of  the  results  of  human  industry  to  be  traced.  Every 
where  else,  the  gorges,  the  receding  valleys,  the  long  ranges 
of  hills,  and  the  bald  caps  of  granite,  presented  nothing  to 
the  eye  but  the  unwearying  charms  of  nature.  Far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  mountain  behind  mountain,  the  earth  was 
covered  with  its  green  mantle  of  luxuriant  leaves ;  such  as 
vegetation  bestows  on  a  virgin  soil  beneath  a  beneficent  sun. 
The  rolling  and  variegated  carpet  of  the  earth  resembled  a 
firmament  reversed,  with  clouds  composed  of  foliage. 

At  the  southern  termination  of  the  lake,  however,  there 
was  an  opening  in  the  forest  of  considerable  extent ;  and 
one  that  had  been  so  thoroughly  made  as  to  leave  few  or  no 
trees.  From  this  point  we  were  distant  several  miles,  and 
that  distance  necessarily  rendered  objects  indistinct ;  though 
we  had  little  difficulty  in  perceiving  the  ruins  of  extensive 
fortifications.  A  thousand  white  specks,  we  now  ascertained 
to  be  tents,  for  the  works  were  all  that  remained  of  Fort 
William  Henry,  and  there  lay  encamped  the  army  of  Aber- 
crombie ;  much  the  largest  force  that  had  then  ever  collected 
in  America,  under  the  colours  of  England.  History  has 
since  informed  us  that  this  army  contained  the  formidable 
number  of  sixteen  thousand  men.  Hundreds  of  boats,  large 
batteaux,  that  were  capable  of  carrying  forty  or  fifty  men, 
were  moving  about  in  front  of  the  encampment,  and,  remote 
as  we  were,  it  was  not  impossible  to  discover  the  signs  of 
preparation,  and  of  an  early  movement.  The  Indian  had 
not  deceived  us  thus  far,  at  least,  but  had  shown  himself  an 
intelligent  judge  of  what  was  going  on,  as  well  as  a  faithful 
guide. 

We  were  to  pass  the  night  on  the  mountain.  Our  beds 
were  none  of  the  best,  as  the  reader  may  suppose,  and  our 
cover  slight ;  yet  I  do  not  remember  to  have  opened  my 


336  SATANSTOE. 

eyes  from  the  moment  they  were  closed,  until  I  awoke  in  the 
morning.  The  fatigue  of  a  forced  march  did  that  for  us 
which  down  cannot  obtain  for  the  voluptuary,  and  we  all 
slept  as  profoundly  as  children.  Consciousness  returned  to 
me,  by  means  of  a  gentle  shake  of  the  shoulder,  which  pro 
ceeded  from  Susquesus.  On  arising,  I  found  the  Indian 
still  near  me,  his  countenance,  for  the  first  time  since  I  had 
known  him,  expressing  something  like  an  animated  pleasure. 
He  had  awoke  none  of  the  others,  and  he  signed  for  me  to 
follow  him,  without  arousing  either  of  my  companions. 
Why  I  had  been  thus  particularly  selected  for  the  scene  that 
succeeded,  I  cannot  say,  unless  the  Onondago's  native  saga 
city  had  taught  him  to  distinguish  between  the  educations 
and  feelings  of  us  three  young  men.  So  it  was,  however, 
and  I  left  the  rude  shelter  we  had  prepared  for  the  night, 
alone. 

A  glorious  sight  awaited  me !  The  sun  had  just  tipped 
the  mountain-tops  with  gold,  while  the  lake  and  the  valleys, 
the  hill-sides  even,  and  the  entire  world  beneath,  still  reposed 
in  shadow.  It  appeared  to  me  like  the  awakening  of  created 
things  from  the  sleep  of  nature.  For  a  moment  or  more,  I 
could  only  gaze  on  the  wonderful  picture  presented  by  the 
strong  contrast  between  the  golden  hill-tops  and  their  sha 
dowed  sides — the  promises  of  day  and  the  vestiges  of  night. 
But  the  Onondago  was  too  much  engrossed  with  his  own 
feelings,  to  suffer  me  long  to  disregard  what  he  conceived 
to  be  the  principal  point  of  interest.  Directed  by  his  finger 
and  eye,  for  he  spoke  not,  I  turned  my  look  towards  the 
distant  shore  of  William  Henry,  and  at  once  perceived  the 
cause  of  his  unusual  excitement.  As  soon  as  the  Indian 
was  certain  that  I  saw  the  obiects  that  attracted  himself  so 
strongly,  he  exclaimed  with  a  strong,  guttural,  emphatic 
cadence — 

"  Good  !" 

Abercrombie's  army  was  actually  in  motion !  Sixteen 
thousand  men  had  embarked  in  boats,  and  were  moving 
towards  the  northern  end  of  the  lake,  with  imposing  force, 
and  a  most  beautiful  accuracy.  The  unruffled  surface  of 
the  lake  was  dotted  with  the  flotilla,  boats  in  hundreds 
stretching  across  it  in  long,  dark  lines,  moving  on  towards 
their  point  of  destination  with  the  method  and  concert  of  an 


SATANSTOE.  337 

army  with  its  wings  displayed.  The  last  brigade  of  boats 
had  just  left  the  shore  when  I  first  saw  this  striking  specta 
cle,  and  the  whole  picture  lay  spread  before  me  at  a  single 
glance.  America  had  never  before  witnessed  such  a  sight ; 
and  it  may  be  long  before  she  will  again  witness  such  an 
other.  For  several  minutes  I  stood  entranced ;  nor  did  1 
speak  until  the  rays  of  the  sun  had  penetrated  the  dusky 
light  that  lay  on  the  inferior  world,  as  low  as  the  bases  of 
the  western  mountains. 

"  What  are  we  to  do,  Susquesus  ?"  I  then  asked,  feeling 
how  much  right  the  Indian  now  might  justly  claim  to  govern 
our  movements. 

"Eat  breakfast,  first"  —  the  Onondago  quietly  replied; 
"  then  go  down  mountain." 

"Neither  of  which  will  place  us  in  the  midst  of  that  gal 
lant  army,  as  it  is  our  wish  to  be." 

"  See,  bye'm  by.  Injin  know — no  hurry,  now.  Hurry 
come,  when  Frenchman  shoot." 

I  did  not  like  this  speech,  nor  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
uttered ;  but  there  were  too  many  things  to  think  of,  just 
then,  to  be  long  occupied  by  vague  conjectures  touching  the 
Onondago's  evasive  allusions.  Guert  and  Dirck  were  called, 
and  made  to  share  in  the  pleasure  that  such  a  sight  could 
not  fail  to  communicate.  Then  it  was  I  got  the  first  notion 
of  what  I  should  call  the  truly  martial  character  of  Ten 
Eyck.  His  fine,  manly  figure  appeared  to  me  to  enlarge, 
his  countenance  actually  became  illuminated,  and  the  ex 
pression  of  his  eye,  usually  so  full  of  good-nature  and  fun, 
seemed  to  change  its  character  entirely,  to  one  of  sternness 
and  severity. 

"  This  is  a  noble  sight,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  Guert  remarked, 
after  gazing  at  the  measured  but  quick  movement  of  the 
flotilla,  for  some  time,  in  silence — "  a  truly  noble  sight,  and 
it  is  a  reproach  to  us  three  for  having  lost  so  much  time  in 
the  woods,  when  we  ought  to  have  been  there,  ready  to  aid 
in  driving  the  French  from  the  province." 

"  We  are  not  too  late,  my  good  friend,  as  the  first  blow 
yet  remains  to  be  struck." 

"  You  say  true,  and  I  shall  join  that  army,  if  I  have  to 
swim  to  reach  the  boats.     It  will  be  no  difficult  thing  for  us 
to  swim  from  one  of  these  islands  to  another,  and  thetroopa 
29 


338  SATANSTOE. 

must  pass  through  the  midst  of  them,  '.n  order  to  get  into 
the  lower  lake.  Any  reasonable  man  would  stop  to  pick 
us  up." 

"  No  need,"  said  the  Onondago,  in  his  quiet  way.  "  Eat 
breakfast ;  then  go.  Got  canoe — that  'nough." 

"A  canoe  !  By  St.  Nicholas  !  Mr.  Susquesus,  I  '11  tell 
you  what  it  is — you  shall  never  want  a  friend  as  long  as 
Guert  Ten  Eyck  is  living,  and  able  to  assist  you.  That 
idea  of  the  canoe  is  a  most  thoughtful  one,  and  shows  that 
a  reasoning  man  has  had  the  care  of  us.  We  can  now 
join  the  troops,  with  the  rifles  in  our  hand,  as  becomes  gen 
tlemen  and  volunteers." 

By  this  time  Jaap  was  up,  and  looking  at  the  scene,  with 
all  his  eyes.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  describe  the  effect 
on  a  negro.  He  laughed  in  fits,  shook  his  head  like  the 
Chinese  figure  of  a  mandarin,  rolled  over  on  the  rocks, 
arose,  shook  himself  like  a  dog  that  quits  the  water,  laughed 
again,  and  finally  shouted.  As  we  were  all  accustomed  to 
these  displays  of  negro  sensibility,  they  only  excited  a  smile 
among  us,  and  not  even  that  from  Dirck.  As  for  the  Indian, 
he  took  no  more  notice  of  these  natural,  but  undignified 
signs  of  pleasure,  in  Jaap,  than  if  the  latter  had  been  a  dog, 
or  any  other  unintellectual  animal.  Perhaps  no  weakness 
would  be  so  likely  to  excite  his  contempt,  as  to  be  a  wit 
ness  of  so  complete  an  absence  of  self-command,  as  the  un 
tutored  negro  manifested  on  this  occasion. 

As  soon  as  our  first  curiosity  and  interest  were  a  little 
abated,  we  applied  ourselves  to  the  necessary  duty  of  break 
ing  our  fasts.  The  meal  was  soon  despatched  ;  and,  to  say 
the  truth,  it  was  not  of  a  quality  to  detain  one  long  from  any 
thing  of  interest.  The  moment  we  had  finished,  the  whole 
party  left  the  cap  of  the  mountain,  following  our  guide  as 
usual. 

The  Onondago  had  purposely  brought  us  to  that  lookout, 
a  spot  known  to  him,  in  order  that  we  might  get  the  view 
of  its  panorama.  It  was  impossible  to  descend  to  the  lake- 
shore  at  that  spot,  however,  and  we  were  obliged  to  make  a 
detour  of  three  or  four  miles,  in  order  to  reach  a  ravine,  by 
means  of  which,  arid  not  without  difficulty  either,  that  im 
portant  object  was  obtained.  Here  we  found  a  bark  canoe. 


SATANSTOE.  339 

of  a  size  sufficient  to  hold  all  five  of  us,  and  we  embarked 
without  a  moment's  delay. 

The  wind  had  sprung  up  from  the  south,  as  the  day  ad 
vanced,  and  the  flotilla  of  boats  was  coming  on,  at  a  greatly 
increased  rate,  as  to  speed.  By  the  time  we  had  threaded 
our  way  through  the  islands,  and  reached  the  main  channel, 
if  indeed  any  one  passage  could  be  so  termed,  among  such  a 
variety,  the  leading  boat  of  the  army  was  within  hail.  The 
Indian  paddled,  and,  waving  his  hand  in  sign  of  amity,  he 
soon  brought  us  alongside  of  the  batteau.  As  we  approached 
it,  however,  I  observed  the  fine,  large  form  of  the  Viscount 
Howe,  standing  erect  in  its  bows,  dressed  in  his  Light  In- 
fantry  Forest  Uniform,  as  if  eager  to  be  literally  the  fore 
most  man  of  a  movement,  in  the  success  of  which,  the  honour 
of  the  British  empire,  itself,  was  felt  to  be  concerned. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

"  My  sons  ?     It  may 

Unman  my  heart,  and  the  poor  boys  will  weep ; 
And  what  can  I  reply,  to  comfort  them, 
Save  with  some  hollow  hopes,  and  ill-worn  smiles  ? 

Sardanapalus. 

MY  LORD  HOWE  did  not  at  first  recognise  us,  in  our  hunt 
ing-shirts.  With  Guert  Ten  Eyck,  however,  he  had  formed 
such  an  acquaintance,  while  at  Albany,  as  caused  him  to 
remember  his  voice,  and  our  welcome  was  both  frank  and 
cordial.  We  inquired  for  the th,  declaring  our  inten 
tion  to  join  that  corps,  from  the  commander  of  which  all 
three  of  us  had  reiterated  and  pressing  invitations  to  join  his 
mess.  The  intention  of  seeking  our  friend  immediately, 
nevertheless,  was  changed  by  a  remark  of  our  present  host, 
if  one  may  use  such  a  term  as  applied  to  the  commander  of 
a  brigade  of  boats. 


340  8ATANSTOE. 

"  Bulstrode's  regiment  is  in  the  centre,  and  will  be  early 
In  the  field,"  he  said ;  "  but  not  as  early  as  the  advanced 
guard.  If  you  desire  good  living,  gentlemen,  I  am  far  from 
wishing  to  dissuade  you  from  seeking  the  flesh-pots  of  the 

th ;  there  being  a  certain  Mr.  Billings,  in  that  corps, 

who  has  an  extraordinary  faculty,  they  tell  me,  in  getting 
up  a  good  dinner  out  of  nothing ;  but,  if  you  want  service, 
we  shall  certainly  be  the  first  brigade  in  action  ;  and,  to  such 
fare  as  I  can  command,  you  will  be  most  acceptable  guests. 
As  for  anything  else,  time  must  show." 

After  this,  no  more  was  said  about  looking  for  Bulstrode ; 
though  we  let  our  noble  commander  understand,  that  we 
should  tax  his  hospitality  no  longer  than  to  see  him  fairly 
in  the  field,  after  driving  away  the  party  that  it  was  ex 
pected  the  enemy  would  send  to  oppose  our  landing. 

Susquesus  no  sooner  learned  our  decision,  than  he  took 
his  departure,  quietly  paddling  away  towards  the  eastern 
shore ;  no  one  attempting  to  intercept  a  canoe  that  was  seen 
to  quit  the  batteau  that  was  known  to  carry  the  commander 
of  the  advanced  brigade. 

The  wind  freshened,  as  the  day  advanced,  and  most  of 
the  boats  having  something  or  other  in  the  shape  of  a  sail, 
our  progress  now  became  quite  rapid.  By  nine  o'clock  we 
were  fairly  in  the  Lower  Lake,  and  there  was  every  pros 
pect  of  our  reaching  our  point  of  destination  by  mid-day.  1 
confess,  the  business  we  were  on,  the  novelty  of  my  situa 
tion,  and  the  certainty  that  we  should  meet  in  Montcalm  an 
experienced  as  well  as  a  most  gallant  foe,  conspired  to  ren 
der  me  thoughtful,  though  I  trust  not  timid,  during  the  few 
hours  we  were  in  the  batteau.  Perfectly  inactive,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  so  young  a  soldier  should  feel  sobered  by  the 
solemn  reflections  that  are  apt  to  get  possession  of  the  mind, 
at  the  probable  approach  of  death — if  not  to  myself,  at  least 
to  many  of  those  who  were  around  me.  Nor  was  there 
anything  boasiful  or  inflated  in  the  manner  or  conversation 
of  our  distinguished  leader,  who  had  seen  much  warm  ser 
vice  in  Germany,  in  the  wars  of  his  reputed  grandfather  and 
uncle,  young  as  he  was.  On  the  contrary,  My  Lord  Howe, 
that  day,  was  grave  and  thou-ghtful,  as  became  a  man  who 
held  the  lives  of  others  in  his  keeping,  though  he  was  neither 
depressed  nor  doubting.  There  were  moments,  indeed,  when 


SATANSTOE.  341 

he  spoke  cheerfully  to  those  who  were  near  him ;  though,  as 
a  whole,  his  deportment  was,  as  I  have  just  said,  grave  and 
thoughtful.  Once  I  caught  his  eye  fastened  on  me,  with  a 
saddened  expression  ;  and,  I  suppose  that  a  question  he  soon 
after  put  me,  was  connected  with  the  subject  of  his  thoughts. 

"  How  would  our  excellent  and  respectable  friend,  Madam 
Schuyler,  feel,  did  she  know  our  precise  position  at  this 
moment,  Mr.  Littlepage  1  I  do  believe  that  excellent  wo 
man  feels  more  concern  for  those  in  whom  she  takes  an 
interest,  than  they  often  feel  for  themselves." 

"  I  think,  my  lord,  that,  in  such  a  case,  we  should  cer 
tainly  receive  the  benefit  of  her  prayers." 

"You  are  an  only  child,  I  think  she  told  me,  Little- 
page?" 

"  I  am,  my  lord ;  and  thankful  am  I  that  my  mother  can 
not  foresee  this  scene." 

"  I,  too,  have  those  that  love  me,  though  they  are  accus 
tomed  to  think  of  me  as  a  soldier,  and  liable  to  a  soldier's 
risks.  Happy  is  the  military  man  who  can  possess  his  mind, 
in  the  moment  of  trial,  free  from  the  embarrassing,  though 
pleasing,  and  otherwise  so  grateful  ties  of  affection.  But, 
we  are  nearing  the  shore,  and  must  attend  to  duty." 

This  is  the  last  conversation  I  held  with  that  brave  sol 
dier  ;  and  these  were  the  last  words,  of  a  private  nature,  I 
ever  heard  him  utter.  From  that  moment,  his  whole  soul 
seemed  occupied  with  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  the  success 
of  our  arms,  and  the  defeat  of  the  enemy. 

I  am  not  soldier  enough  to  describe  what  followed  in  a 
very  military  or  intelligible  manner.  As  the  brigade  drew 
near  the  foot  of  the  lake,  where  there  was  a  wide  extent  of 
"low  land,  principally  in  forest,  however,  some  batteaux  were 
brought  to  the  front,  on  which  were  mounted  a  number  of 
pieces  of  heavy  artillery.  The  French  had  a  party  of  con 
siderable  force  to  oppose  our  landing;  butras  it  appeared 
they  had  not  made  a  sufficient  provision  of  guns,  on  theii 
part,  to  contend  with  success ;  and  our  grape  scouring  the 
woods,  we  met  with  but  little  real  resistance.  Nor  did  we 
assail  them  precisely  at  the  point  where  we  were  expected 
but  proceeded  rather  to  the  right  of  their  position.  At  the 
signal,  the  advanced  brigade  pushed  for  the  shore,  led  by 
our  gallant  commander,  and  we  were  all  soon  on  terr&Jirma, 
29  * 


342  SATANSTOE. 

without  sustaining  any  loss  worth  naming.  We  four,  that 
is,  Guert,  Dirck,  myself  and  Jaap,  kept  as  near  as  was 
proper  to  the  noble  brigadier,  who  instantly  ordered  an  ad 
vance,  to  press  the  retreating  foe.  The  skirmishing  was 
not  sharp,  however,  and  we  gained  ground  fast,  the  enemy 
retiring  in  the  direction  of  Ticonderoga,  and  we  pressing  on 
their  rear,  quite  as  fast  as  prudence  and  our  preparations 
would  allow.  I  could  see  that  a  cloud  of  Indians  was  in 
our  front,  and  will  own,  that  I  felt  afraid  of  an  ambush  ;  for 
the  artful  warfare  practised  by  those  beings  of  the  wood, 
could  not  but  be  familiar,  by  tradition  at  least,  to  one  born 
and  educated  in  the  colonies.  We  had  landed  in  a  cove, 
not  literally  at  the  foot  of  the  lake,  but  rather  on  its  western 
side ;  and  room  was  no  sooner  obtained,  than  Gen.  Aber- 
crombie  got  most  of  his  force  on  shore,  and  formed  it,  as 
speedily  as  possible,  in  columns.  Of  these  columns  we  had 
four,  the  two  in  the  centre  being  composed  entirely  of  King's 
troops,  six  regiments  in  all,  numbering  more  than  as  many 
thousand  men ;  while  five  thousand  provincials  were  on  the 
flanks,  leaving  quite  four  thousand  of  the  latter  with  the 
boats,  of  which  this  vast  flotilla  actually  contained  the  large 
number  of  one  thousand  and  twenty-five !  All  our  boats, 
however,  had  not  yet  reached  the  point  of  debarkation  ; 
those  with  the  stores,  artillery,  &c.,  &c.,  being  still  some 
distance  in  the  rear. 

Our  party  was  now  placed  with  the  right  centre  column, 
at  the  head  of  which  marched  our  noble  acquaintance.  The 
enemy  had  posted  a  single  battalion  in  a  log  encampment, 
near  the  ordinary  landing;  but  finding  the  character  of  the 
force  with  which  he  was  about  to  be  assailed,  its  command 
ant  set  fire  to  his  huts  and  retreated.  The  skirmishing  was 
now  even  of  less  moment  than  it  had  been  on  landing,  and 
we  all  moved  forward  in  high  spirits,  though  the  want  of 
guides,  the  density  of  the  woods,  and  the  difficulties  of  the 
ground,  soon  produced  a  certain  degree  of  confusion  in  our 
march.  The  columns  got  entangled  with  each  other,  and 
no  one  seemed  to  possess  the  means  of  promptly  extricating 
them  from  this  awkward  embarrassment.  Want  of  guides 
was  the  great  evil  under  which  we  laboured  ;  but  it  was  an 
evil  that  it  was  now  too  late  to  remedy. 

Our  column,  notwithstanding,  or  its  head  rather,  continued 


SATANSTOE.  343 

to  advance,  with  its  gallant  leader  keeping  even  pace  with 
its  foremost  platoon.  We  four  volunteers  acted  as  lookouts^ 
a  little  on  its  flank ;  and  I  trust  there  will  be  no  boasting, 
if  I  say,  we  kept  rather  in  advance  of  the  leading  files,  than 
otherwise.  In  this  state  of  things,  French  uniforms  were 
seen  in  front,  and  a  pretty  strong  party  of  the  enemy  was 
encountered,  wandering,  like  ourselves,  a  little  uncertain  of 
the  route  they  ought  to  take,  in  order  to  reach  their  entrench 
ments  in  the  shortest  time.  As  a  matter  of  course,  this 
party  could  not  pass  the  head  of  our  column,  without  bring 
ing  on  a  collision,  though  it  were  one  that  was  only  mo 
mentary.  Which  party  gave  the  first  fire,  I  cannot  say, 
though  I  thought  it  was  the  French.  The  discharge  was 
not  heavy,  however,  and  was  almost  immediately  mutual. 
I  know  that  all  four  of  us  let  off  our  rifles,  and  that  we 
halted,  under  a  cover,  to  reload.  I  had  just  driven  the  ball 
down,  when  my  eye  caught  the  signs  of  some  confusion  in 
the  head  of  the  column,  and  I  saw  the  body  of  an  officer 
borne  to  the  rear.  It  was  that  of  Lord  Howe  !  He  had 
fallen  at  the  first  serious  discharge  made  by  the  enemy  in 
that  campaign !  The  fall  of  its  leader,  so  immediately  in 
its  presence,  seemed  to  rouse  the  column  into  a  sense  of 
the  necessity  of  doing  something  effective,  and  it  assaulted 
the  party  in  its  front  with  the  rage  of  so  many  tigers,  dis 
persing  the  enemy  like  chaff;  making  a  considerable  num 
ber  of  prisoners,  besides  killing  and  wounding  not  a  few. 

I  never  saw  a  man  more  thoroughly  aroused  than  was 
Guert  Ten  Eyck,  in  this  little  affair.  He  had  been  much 
noticed  by  Lord  Howe,  during  the  residence  of  that  unfor 
tunate  nobleman  at  Albany  ;  and  the  loss  of  the  last  appeared 
to  awaken  all  that  there  was  of  the  ferocious  in  the  nature 
of  my  usually  kind-hearted  Albany  friend.  He  acted  AS  our 
immediate  commander;  and  he  led  us  forward  on  the  heels 
of  the  retreating  French,  until  we  actually  came  in  sight  of 
their  entrenchments.  Then,  indeed,  we  all  saw  it  was  ne 
cessary  to  retreat  in  our  turn ;  and  Guert  consented  to  fall 
back,  though  it  was  done  surlily,  and  like  a  lion  at  bay.  A 
party  of  Indians  pressed  us  hard,  in  this  retreat,  and  we  ran 
an  imminent  risk  of  our  scalps ;  all  of  which,  I  have  ever 
believed,  would  have  been  lost,  were  it  not  for  the  resolu 
tion  and  Herculean  strength  of  Jaap.  It  happened,  as  we 


344  SATANSTOB. 

were  dodging  from  tree  to  tree,  that  all  four  of  our  rifles 
were  discharged  at  the  same  time  ;  a  circumstance  of  which 
our  assailants  availed  themselves  to  make  a  rush  at  us. 
Luckily  the  weight  of  the  onset  fell  on  Jaap,  who  clubbed 
his  rifle,  and  literally  knocked  down  in  succession  the  three 
Indians  that  first  reached  him.  This  intrepidity  and  success 
gave  us  time  to  reload ;  and  Dirck,  ever  a  cool  and  capital 
shot,  laid  the  fourth  Huron  on  his  face,  with  a  ball  through 
his  heart.  Guert  then  held  his  fire,  and  called  on  Jaap  to 
retreat.  He  was  obeyed  ;  and  under  cover  of  our  two  rifles, 
the  whole  party  got  off;  the  red-skins  being  too  thoroughly 
rebuked  to  press  us  very  closely,  after  the  specimen  they 
had  just  received  of  the  stuff  of  which  we  were  made. 

We  owed  our  escape,  however,  as  much  to  another  cir 
cumstance,  as  to  this  resolution  of  Jaap,  and  the  expedient 
of  Guert.  Among  the  provincials  was  a  partisan  of  great 
repute,  of  the  name  of  Rogers.  This  officer  led  a  party  of 
riflemen  on  our  left  flank,  and  he  drove  in  the  enemy's  skir 
mishers,  along  his  own  front,  with  rapidity,  causing  them  to 
suffer  a  considerable  loss.  By  this  means,  the  Indians 
before  us  were  held  in  check ;  as  there  was  the  danger  that 
Major  Rogers's  party  might  fall  in  upon  their  rear,  should 
they  attempt  to  pursue  us,  and  thus  cut  them  off  from  their 
allies.  It  was  well  it  was  so ;  inasmuch  as  we  had  to  fall 
back  more  than  a  mile,  ere  we  reached  the  spot  where  Aber- 
crombie  brought  his  columns  to  a  halt,  and  encamped  for 
the  night.  This  position  was  distant  about  two  miles  from 
the  works  before  Ticonderoga ;  and  consequently  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  outlet  of  Lake  George.  Here  the 
army  was  brought  into  good  order,  and  took  up  its  station 
for  some  little  time. 

It  was  necessary  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  stores,  ammu 
nition  and  artillery.  As  the  bringing  up  these  materials, 
through  a  country  that  was  little  else  than  a  virgin  forest, 
was  no  easy  task,  it  occupied  us  quite  two  days.  Melan 
choly  days  they  were,  too ;  the  death  of  Lord  Howe  acting 
on  the  whole  army  much  as  if  it  had  been  a  defeat.  He 
was  the  idol  of  the  King's  troops,  and  he  had  rendered  him- 
self  as  popular  with  us  Americans,  as  with  his  own  coun 
trymen.  A  s<3rt  of  ominous  sadness  prevailed  among  us 


8ATANSTOE.  345 

each  common  man  appearing  to  feel  his  loss  as  he  might 
have  felt  that  of  a  brother. 

We  looked  up  the th,  and  joined  Bulstrode,  as  soon 

as  we  reached  the  ground  chosen  for  the  new  encampment. 
Our  reception  was  friendly,  and  even  kind ;  and  it  became 
warmer  still,  as  soon  as  it  was  understood  that  we  composed 
the  little  party  that  had  skirmished  so  freely  on  the  flank 
of  the  right  centre  column,  and  which  was  known  to  have 
gone  farther  in  advance  than  any  one  else,  in  that  part  of 
the  field.  Thus  we  joined  our  corps  with  some  eclat,  at  the 
very  outset,  everybody  welcoming  us  cordially,  and  with 
seeming  sincerity. 

Nevertheless,  the  general  sadness  existed  in  the th, 

as  well  as  in  all  the  other  corps.  Lord  Howe  was  as  much 
beloved  in  that  regiment,  as  in  any  other;  and  our  meeting 
and  subsequent  intercourse  could  not  be  called  joyful.  Bui- 
strode  had  an  extensive  and  important  command,  for  his 
rank  and  years,  and  he  certainly  was  proud  of  his  position  ; 
but  I  could  see  that  even  his  elastic  and  usually  gay  temper 
ament  was  much  affected  by  what  had  occurred.  That 
night  we  walked  together,  apart  from  our  companions,  when 
he  spoke  on  the  subject  of  our  loss. 

"  It  may  appear  strange  to  you,  Corny,"  he  said,  "  to  find 
so  much  depression  in  camp,  after  a  debarkation  that  has 
certainly  been  successful,  and  a  little  affair  that  has  given 
us,  as  they  assure  me,  a  couple  of  hundred  prisoners.  I  tell 
you,  however,  my  friend,  it  were  better  for  this  army  to 
have  seen  its  best  corps  annihilated,  than  to  have  lost  the 
man  it  has.  Howe  was  literally  the  soul  of  this  entire  force. 
He  was  a  soldier  by  nature,  and  made  all  around  him  sol 
diers.  As  for  the  Commander-In-Chief,  he  does  not  under 
stand  you  Americans,  and  will  not  use  you  as  he  ought  ^ 
then  he  does  not  understand  the  nature  of  the  warfare  of  this 
continent,  and  will  be  very  likely  to  make  a  blunder.  I  '11 
tell  you  how  it  is,  Corny  ;  Howe  had  as  much  influence 
with  Abercrombie,  as  he  had  with  every  one  else ;  and  an 
attempt  will  be  made  to  introduce  his  mode  of  fighting;  but 
such  a  man  as  Lord  Howe  requires  another  Lord  Howe  to 
carry  out  his  own  conceptions.  That  is  the  point  on  which, 
I  fear,  we  shall  fail." 

All  this  sounded  very  sensible  to  me,  though  it  sounded 


346  SATANSTOE. 

discouragingly ;  I  found,  however,  that  Bulstrodo  did  not 
ei  ertain  these  feelings  alone,  but  that  most  around  me  were 
of  the  same  way  of  thinking.  In  the  mean  time,  the  prepa 
rations  proceeded ;  and  it  was  understood  that  the  8th  was 
to  be  the  day  that  was  to  decide  the  fate  of  Ticonderoga. 
The  fort  proper,  at  this  celebrated  station,  stands  on  a  penin 
sula,  and  can  only  be  assailed  on  one  side.  The  outworks 
were  very  extensive  on  that  side,  and  the  garrison  was 
known  to  be  formidable.  As  these  outworks,  however,  con 
sisted  principally  of  a  log  breastwork,  and  it  could  be  ap 
proached  through  open  woods,  which  of  itself  afforded  some 
cover,  it  was  determined  to  carry  it  by  storm,  and,  if  possi 
ble,  enter  the  main  work  with  the  retreating  enemy.  Had 
we  waited  for  our  artillery,  and  established  batteries,  our 
success  would  have  been  certain  ;  but  the  engineer  reported 
favourably  of  the  other  project ;  and  perhaps  it  better  suited 
the  temper  and  impatience  of  the  whole  army,  to  push  on, 
rather  than  proceed  by  the  slow  movements  of  a  regular 
siege. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  therefore,  the  troops  were 
paraded  for  the  assault,  our  party  falling  in  on  the  flank  of 

the th,  as  volunteers.     The  ground  did  not  admit  of  the 

use  of  many  horses,  and  Bulstrode  marched  with  us  on  foot. 
I  can  relate  but  little  of  the  general  movements  of  that  me 
morable  day,  the  woods  concealing  so  much  of  what  was 
done,  on  both  sides.  I  know  this,  however ;  that  the  flower 
of  our  army  were  brought  into  the  line,  and  were  foremost 
in  the  assault ;  including  both  regulars  and  provincials. 
The  42d,  a  Highland  corps,  that  had  awakened  much  inte 
rest  in  America,  both  by  the  appearance  and  character  of 
its  men,  was  placed  at  a  point  where  it  was  thought  the 
heaviest  service  was  to  be  performed.  The  55th,  another 
corps  on  which  much  reliance  was  placed,  was  also  put  at 
the  head  of  another  column.  A  swamp  extending  for  some 
distance  along  the  only  exposed  front  of  the  peninsula,  these 
two  corps  were  designated  to  carry  the  log  breastwork,  that 
commenced  at  the  point  where  the  swamp  ceases ;  much  the 
most  arduous  portion  of  the  expected  service,  since  this  was 
the  only  accessible  approach  to  the  fortress  itself.  To 
render  their  position  more  secure,  the  French  had  placed 
several  pieces  of  artillery  in  battery,  along  the  line  of  this 


SATANSTOE.  347 

breastwork ;  while  we  had  not  yet  a  gun  in  front  to  covei 
our  advance. 

It  was  said,  that  Abercrombie  did  not  take  counsel  of  any 
of  the  American  officers  with  him,  before  he  decided  on  the 
attack  of  the  8th  of  July.  He  had  directed  his  principal 
engineer  to  reconnoitre ;  and  that  gentleman  having  reported 
that  the  defences  offered  no  serious  scientific  obstacles,  the 
assault  was  decided  on.  This  report  was  accurate,  doubt 
less,  agreeably  to  the  principles  and  facts  of  European  war 
fare  ;  but  it  was  not  suited  to  those  of  the  conflicts  of  this 
continent.  It  was  10  be  regretted,  however,  that  the  expe 
rience  of  1755,  and  che  fate  of  Braddock,  had  not  inculcated 
a  more  extensive  lesson  of  discretion  among  the  royal  com 
manders,  than  was  manifested  by  the  incidents  of  this  day. 

The th  was  placed  in  column  directly  in  the  rear  of 

the  Highlanders,  who  were  led,  on  this  occasion,  by  Col. 
Gordon  Graham;  a  veteran  officer  of  great  experience,  and 
of  an  undaunted  courage.*  Of  course,  I  saw  this  officer 
and  this  regiment,  being  as  they  were  directly  in  my  front, 
but  I  saw  little  else ;  more  especially  after  the  smoke  of  the 
first  discharge  was  added  to  the  other  obstacles  to  vision. 

A  considerable  time  was  consumed  in  making  the  prepa 
rations ;  but,  when  everything  was  supposed  to  be  ready, 
the  columns  were  set  in  motion.  .It  was  generally  under 
stood  that  the  troops  were  to  receive  the  enemy's  fire,  then 
rush  forward  to  the  breastwork,  cross  the  latter  at  the  bayo 
net's  point,  if  it  should  be  necessary,  and  deliver  their  own 
fire  at  close  quarters  ;  or  on  their  retreating  foes.  Permis 
sion  was  given  to  us  volunteers,  and  to  divers  light  parties 
of  irregulars,  to  open  on  any  of  the  French  of  whom  we 
might  get  glimpses,  as  little  was  expected  from  us  in  the 
charge. 

Nearly  an  hour  was  consumed  in  approaching  the  point 
of  attack,  owing  to  the  difficulties  of  the  ground,  and  the 
necessity  of  making  frequent  halts,  in  order  to  dress.  At 

*  Holmes's  Annals  say,  that  Lord  John  Murray  commanded  the 
42d,  on  this  occasion.  I  presume,  as  Mr.  Littlepage  was  there,  and 
was  posted  so  near  the  corps  in  question,  he  cannot  well  be  mistaken. 
Mrs.  Grant,  of  Laggan,  who  was  at  Albany  at  the  time,  and  whose 
father  was  in  the  battle,  agrees  with  Mr.  Littlepage,  in  saying  that 
Gordon  Graham  led  the  42d.  — EDITOR. 


348  SATANSTOE. 

length  the  important  moment  arrived  when  the  head  of  the 
column  was  ready  to  unmask  itself,  and  consequently  to 
come  under  fire.  A  short  halt  sufficed  for  the  arrangements 
here,  when  the  bagpipes  commenced  their  exciting  music, 
and  we  broke  out  of  cover,  shouting  and  cheering  each 
other  on.  We  must  have  been  within  two  hundred  yards 
of  the  breastwork  at  the  time,  and  the  first  gun  discharged 
was  Jaap's,  who,  by  working  his  way  into  the  cover  of  the 
swamp,  had  got  some  distance  ahead  of  us,  and  who  actu 
ally  shot  down  a  French  officer  who  had  got  upon  the  logs 
of  his  defences,  in  order  to  reconnoitre.  That  assault,  how 
ever,  was  fearfully  avenged  !  The  Highlanders  were  mov 
ing  on  like  a  whirlwind,  grave,  silent  and  steady,  cheered 
only  by  their  music,  when  a  sheet  of  flame  glanced  along 
the  enemy's  line,  and  the  iron  and  leaden  messengers  of 
death  came  whistling  in  among  us  like  a  hurricane.  The 
Scotsmen  were  staggered  by  that  shock  ;  but  they  recovered 

instantly  and  pressed  forward.     The th  did  not  escape 

harmless,  by  any  means ;  while  the  din  told  us  that  the  con 
flict  extended  along  the  whole  of  the  breastwork,  towards 
the  lake-shore.  How  many  were  shot  down  in  our  column, 
by  that  first  discharge,  1  never  knew  ;  but  the  slaughter  was 
dreadful,  and  among  those  who  fell  was  the  veteran  Graham, 
himself.  I  can  safely  say,  however,  that  the  plan  of  attack 
was  completely  deranged  from  this  first  onset ;  the  columns 
displaying  and  commencing  their  fire  as  soon  as  possible. 
No  men  could  have  behaved  better  than  all  that  I  could 
see ;  the  whole  of  us  pushing  on  for  the  breastwork,  until 
we  encountered  fallen  trees ;  which  were  made  to  serve  the 
purpose  of  chevaux-de-frise.  These  trees  had  been  felled 
along  the  front  of  the  breastwork,  while  their  branches  were 
cut,  and  pointed  like  stakes.  It  was  impossible  to  pass  in 
any  order,  and  the  troops  halted  when  they  reached  them, 
and  continued  to  fire  by  platoons,  with  as  much  regularity 
as  on  parade.  A  few  minutes  of  this  work,  however,  com 
pelled  different  corps  to  fall  back,  and  the  vain  conflict  was 
continued  for  four  hours,  on  our  part  almost  entirely  by  a 
smart  but  ineffective  fire  of  musketry  ;  while  the  French  sent 
their  grape  into  our  ranks  almost  with  as  much  impunity  as 
if  they  had  been  on  parade.  It  had  been  far  better  for  our 
men  had  they  been  less  disciplined,  and  less  under  the  con- 


8ATAN8TOB.  349 

trol  of  their  officers ;  for  the  sole  effect  of  steadiness,  undei 
such  circumstances,  is  to  leave  the  gallant  and  devoted 
troops,  who  refuse  to  fall  back,  while  they  are  unable  to 
advance,  only  so  much  the  longer  in  jeopardy. 

Guert  had  shouted  with  the  rest ;  and  I  soon  found  that, 
by  following  him  for  a  leader,  we  should  quickly  be  in  the 
midst  of  the  fray.  He  actually  led  us  up  to  the  fallen  trees  j 
and,  finding  something  like  a  cover  there,  we  three  estab 
lished  ourselves  among  them  as  riflemen,  doing  fully  our 
share  of  service.  When  the  troops  fell  back,  however,  we 
were  left  in  a  manner  alone,  and  it  was  rather  dangerous 
work  to  retire ;  and  finding  ourselves  out  of  the  line  of  fire 
from  our  own  men,  no  immaterial  point  in  such  a  fray,  we 
maintained  our  post  to  the  last.  Admonished,  after  a  long 
time,  of  the  necessity  of  retreating,  by  the  manner  in  which 
the  fire  of  our  own  line  lessened,  we  got  off  with  sound 
skins,  though  Guert  retired  the  whole  distance  with  his 
face  to  the  enemy,  firing  as  he  withdrew.  We  all  did  the 
last,  indeed,  using  the  trees  for  covers.  Towards  the  close 
we  attracted  especial  attention  ;  and  there  were  two  or  three- 
minutes  during  which  the  flight  of  bullets  around  us  might 
truly,  without  much  exaggeration,  be  likened  to  a  storm  of 
hail! 

Jaap  was  not  with  us  in  this  sally,  and  I  went  into  the 
swamp  to  look  for  him.  The  search  was  not  long,  for  I 
found  my  fellow  retreating  also,  and  bringing  in  with  him  a 
stout  Canadian  Indian  as  a  prisoner.  He  was  making  his 
captive  carry  three  discharged  rifles,  and  blankets ;  one  of 
which  had  been  his  own  property  once,  and  the  others  that 
of  two  of  his  tribe,  whom  the  negro  had  left  lying  in  the 
swamp  as  bloody  trophies  of  his  exploits.  I  cannot  explain 
the  philosophy  of  the  thing,  but  that  negro  ever  appeared  to 
me  to  fight  as  if  he  enjoyed  the  occupation  as  an  amuse 
ment. 

These  facts  were  scarcely  ascertained,  when  we  learned 
the  important  intelligence  that  a  general  retreat  was  ordered. 
Our  proud  and  powerful  army  was  beaten,  and  that,  too,  by 
a  force  two-thirds  less  than  its  own  !  It  is  not  easy  to  de 
scribe  the  miserable  scene  that  followed.  The  transporting 
of  the  wounded  to  the  rear  had  been  going  on  the  whole  time , 
and,  as  usually  happens,  when  it  is  permitted,  it  had  con> 
30 


350  SATANSTOE. 

Iribuled  largely  to  thin  the  ranks.  These  unfortunate  men 
were  put  into  the  batteaux  in  hundreds,  while  most  of  the 
dead  were  led  where  they  lay.  So  completely  were  our 
hopes  frustrated,  and  our  spirits  lowered,  that  most  of  the 
boats  pulled  off  that  night,  and  all  the  remainder  quitted  the 
foot  of  the  lake  early  next  day. 

Thus  terminated  the  dire  expedition  of  1758  against  Ti 
conderoga,  and  with  it  our  expectations  of  seeing  Montreal, 
or  Quebec,  that  season.  I  dare  say,  we  had  fully  ten  thou 
sand  bayonets  in  the  field  that  bloody  day,  and  quite  five 
thousand  men  closely  engaged.  The  mistake  was  in  attempt 
ing  to  carry  a  post  that  was  so  nearly  impregnable,  by  as 
sault  ;  and  this,  too,  without  the  cover  of  artillery.  The 
enemy  was  said  to  have  four  or  five  thousand  men  present , 
and  this  may  be  true,  as  applied  to  all  within  the  defences ; 
though  I  question  if  more  than  half  that  number  pulled 
triggers  on  us,  in  the  miserable  affair.  There  is  always 
much  of  exaggeration  in  both  the  boasting  and  the  apologies 
of  war. 

Our  own  loss,  on  this  sad  occasion,  was  reported  at  548 
slain,  and  1356  wounded.  This  was  probably  within  the 
truth ;  though  the  missing  were  said  to  be  surprisingly  few, 
some  thirty  or  forty,  in  all ;  the  men  having  no  place  to 
repair  to  but  the  boats.  Of  the  Highlanders,  it  was  said 
that  nearly  half  the  common  men,  and  twenty-five,  or  nearly 
all  the  officers,  were  either  killed  or  wounded !  One  ac 
count,  indeed,  said  that  every  officer  of  that  corps,  who  was 
on  the  ground,  suffered.  The  55th,  also,  was  dreadfully 
cut  up.  Ten  of  its  officers  were  slain  outright,  and  many 

were  wounded.     As  for  the th,  it  fared  a  little  better, 

not  heading-  a  column ;  but  its  loss  was  fearful.  Bulstrode 
was  seriously  wounded,  early  in  the  attack,  though  his  hurt 
was  never  supposed  to  be  dangerous.  Billings  was  left  dead 
on  the  field,  and  Harris  got  a  scratch  that  served  him  to 
talk  of  in  after  life. 

The  confusion  was  tremendous  after  such  a  conflict  and 
such  a  defeat.  The  troops  re-embarked  without  much  re 
gard  to  corps  or  regularity  of  movement ;  and  the  boats 
moved  away  as  fast  as  they  received  their  melancholy  car 
goes.  An  immense  amount  of  property  was  lost ;  though 
I  believe  all  the  customary  military  trophies  were  preserved. 


SATANSTOE.  351 

As  the  provincials  had  been  the  least  engaged,  and  had  suf 
fered  much  the  least,  in  proportion  to  numbers,  a  large  body 
of  them  was  kept  as  a  rear-guard,  while  the  regular  corps 
removed  their  wounded  and  materiel. 

As  for  us  three  or  four,  including  Jaap,  who  stuck  by  his 
prisoner,  we  scarcely  knew  what  to  do  with  ourselves. 
Everybody  who  felt  any  interest  in  us,  was  either  killed  or 
wounded.  Bulstrode  we  could  not  see  ;  nor  could  we  even 
find  the  regiment.  Should  we  succeed  in  the  attempt  at  the 
last,  very  few  now  remained  in  it  who  would  have  taken 
much,  or  indeed  any  concern  in  us.  Under  the  circum 
stances,  therefore,  we  held  a  consultation  on  the  lake-shore, 
uncertain  whether  to  ask  admission  into  one  of  the  depart 
ing  boats,  or  to  remain  until  morning,  that  our  retreat  might 
have  a  more  manly  aspect. 

"  I  '11  tell  you  what  it  is,  Corny,"  said  Guert  Ten  Eyck, 
in  a  somewhat  positive  manner,  "  the  less  we  say  about  this 
campaign,  and  of  our  share  in  it,  the  petter.  We  are  not 
soldiers,  in  the  regular  way,  and  if  we  keep  quiet,  nobody 
will  know  what  a  t'rashing  we  t'ree,  in  particular,  haf 
receivet.  My  advice  is,  t'at  we  get  out  of  this  army  as  we 
got  into  it — t'at  is,  py  a  one-sided  movement,  and  for  ever 
after  holt  our  tongues  about  our  having  had  anyt'ing  to  do 
with  it.  I  never  knew  a  worsted  man  any  the  more  re 
spected  for  his  mishap ;  and  I  will  own,  that  I  set  down 
flogging  as  a  very  material  part  of  a  fight." 

"  I  am  quite  sure,  Guert,  I  am  as  little  disposed  to  brag 
of  my  share  in  this  affair,  as  you  or  any  one  can  possibly 
be ;  but  it  is  much  easier  to  talk  about  getting  away  from 
this  confused  crowd  than  really  to  do  the  thing.  I  doubt  if 
any  of  these  boats  will  take  us  in ;  for  an  Englishman, 
flogged,  is  not  apt  to  be  very  good-natured ;  and  all  our 
friends  seem  to  be  killed  or  wounded." 

"  You  want  go  ?"  asked  a  low  Indian  voice  at  my  elbow. 
"  Got  'nough,  eh  ?" 

Turning,  I  saw  Susquesus  standing  within  two  feet  of  me. 
Our  consultation  was  necessarily  in  the  midst  of  a  moving 
throng ;  and  the  Onondago  must  have  approached  us,  unno^ 
ticed,  at  the  commencement  of  our  conference.  There  he 
was,  however,  though  whence  he  came  or  how  he  got  there, 


352  SATANSTOE. 

I  could  not  imagine,  at  the  time,  and  have  never  been  able 
to  learn  since. 

"  Can  you  help  us  to  get  away,  Susquesus  ?"  was  my 
answer.  "  Do  you  know  of  any  means  of  crossing  the 
lake?" 

"  Got  canoe.  That  good.  Canoe  go,  though  Yengeese 
run." 

"  That  in  which  we  came  off  to  the  army,  do  you  mean  ?" 

The  Indian  nodded  his  head,  and  made  a  sign  for  us  to 
follow.  Little  persuasion  was  necessary,  and  we  proceeded 
at  his  heels,  in  a  body,  in  the  direction  he  led.  I  will  con 
fess,  that  when  I  saw  our  guide  proceeding  eastward,  along 
the  lake-shore,  I  had  some  misgivings  on  the  subject  of  his 
good  faith.  That  was  the  direction  which  took  us  towards, 
instead  of  from  the  enemy  ;  and  there  was  something  so 
mysterious  in  the  conduct  of  this  man,  that  it  gave  me  un 
easiness.  Here  he  was,  in  the  midst  of  the  English  army 
in  the  height  of  its  confusion,  though  h«  had  declined  joining 
it  previously  to  the  battle.  Nothing  was  easier  than  to  enter 
the  throng,  in  its  present  confused  state,  and  move  about 
undetected  for  hours,  if  one  had  the  nerve  necessary  for  the 
service ;  and,  in  that  property,  I  felt  certain  the  Onondago 
was  not  deficient.  There  was  a  coolness  in  the  manner  of 
the  man,  a  quiet  observation,  both  blended  with  the  seeming 
apathy  of  a  red-skin,  that  gave  every  assurance  of  his  fitness 
for  the  duty. 

Nevertheless,  there  was  no  remedy  but  to  follow,  or  to 
break  with  our  guide  on  the  spot.  We  did  not  like  to  do 
the  last,  although  we  conferred  together  on  the  subject,  but 
followed,  keeping  our  hands  on  the  locks  of  our  rifles,  in 
readiness  for  a  brush,  should  we  be  led  into  danger.  Sus 
quesus  had  no  such  treacherous  intentions,  however,  while 
he  had  disposed  of  his  canoe  in  a  place  that  denoted  his 
judgment.  We  had  to  walk  quite  a  mile  ere  we  reached 
the  little  bush-fringed  creek  in  which  he  had  concealed  it. 
I  have  always  thought  we  ran  a  grave  risk,  in  advancing  so 
far  in  that  direction,  since  the  enemy's  Indians  would  cer 
tainly  be  hanging  around  the  skirts  of  our  army,  in  quest 
of  scalps;  but  I  afterwards  learned  the  secret  of  the  Onon- 
dago's  confidence,  who  first  spoke  on  the  subject  alter  we 


SATANSTOE.  353 

had  left  the  shore,  and  then  only  in  an  answer  to  a  remark 
of  Guert's. 

"No  danger,"  he  said  ;  "  red-man  gettin'  Yengeese  scalps, 
on  the  war-path.  Too  much  kill,  now,  to  want  more." 

As  both  governments  pursued  the  culpable  policy  of  pay 
ing  for  human  scalps,  this  suggestion  probably  contained 
the  whole  truth. 

Previously  to  quitting  the  creek,  however,  there  was  a 
difficulty  to  dispose  of.  Jaap  had  brought  his  Huron  pri 
soner  with  him ;  and  the  Onondago  declared  that  the  canoe 
could  not  carry  six.  This  we  knew  from  experience,  in 
deed,  though  five  went  in  it  very  comfortably. 

"  No  room,"  said  Susquesus,  "  for  red-man.  Five  good 
—six  bad." 

"What  shall  we  do  with  the  fellow,  Corny?"  asked 
Guert,  with  a  little  interest.  "  Jaap  says  he  is  a  proper 
devil,  by  daylight,  and  that  he  had  a  world  of  trouble  in 
taking  him,  and  in  bringing  him  in.  For  five  minutes,  it 
was  heads  or  tails  which  was  to  give  in  ;  and  the  nigger 
only  got  the  best  of  it,  by  his  own  account  of  the  battle,  be 
cause  the  red-skin  had  the  unaccountable  folly  to  try  to 
beat  in  Jaap's  brains.  He  might  as  well  have  battered  the 
Rock  of  Gibraltar,  you  know,  as  to  attempt  to  break  a  nig 
ger's  skull,  and  so  your  fellow  got  the  best  of  it.  What 
shall  we  do  with  the  rascal?" 

"  Take  scalp,"  said  the  Onondago,  sententiously  ;  "  got 
good  scalp  —  war-lock  ready  —  paint,  war-paint  —  capital 
scalp." 

"Ay,  that  may  do  better  for  you,  Master  Succetush" — 
so  Guert  always  called  our  guide,  "  than  it  will  do  for  us 
Christians.  I  'm  afraid  we  shall  have  to  let  the  ravenous 
devil  go,  after  disarming  him." 

"  Disarmed  he  is  already  ;  but  he  cannot  be  long  without 
a  musket,  on  this  battle-ground.  I  am  of  your  opinion, 
Guert ;  so,  Jaap,  release  your  prisoner  at  once,  that  we  may 
return  to  Ravensnest,  as  fast  as  possible." 

"  Dat  berry  hard,  Masser  Corny,  sah  !"  exclaimed  Jaap, 
who  did  not  half  like  the  orders  he  received. 

"  No  words  about  it,  sir,  but  cut  his  fastenings"  —  Jaap 
30  * 


354  SATANSTOE. 

had  tied  the  Indian's  arms  behind  him,  with  a  rope,  as  an 
easy  mode  of  leading  him  along.  "  Do  you  know  the  man's 
name?" 

"  Yes,  sah — he  say  he  name  be  Muss" — probably  Jaap's 
defective  manner  of  repeating  some  Indian  sound  ;  "  and  a 
proper  muss  he  get  in,  Masser  Corny,  when  he  try  to  cotch 
Jaap  by  he  wool !" 

Here  I  was  obliged  to  clap  my  hand  suddenly  on  the 
black's  mouth,  for  the  fellow  was  so  delighted  with  the  re 
collection  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  got  the  better  of 
his  red  adversary,  that  he  broke  out  into  one  of  the  uncon 
trollable  fits  of  noisy  laughter,  that  are  so  common  to  his 
race.  I  repeated  the  order,  somewhat  sternly,  for  Jaap  to 
cut  the  cords,  and  then  to  follow  us  to  the  canoe,  in  which 
the  Onondago  and  my  two  friends  had  already  taken  their 
places.  My  own  foot  was  raised  to  enter  the  canoe,  when 
I  heard  heavy  stripes  inflicted  on  the  back  of  some  one. 
Rushing  back  to  the  spot  where  I  had  left  Jaap  and  his  cap 
tive,  Muss,  I  found  the  former  inflicting  a  severe  punish 
ment,  on  the  naked  back  of  the  other,  with  the  end  of  the 
cord  that  still  bound  his  arms.  Muss,  as  Jaap  called  him, 
neither  flinched  nor  cried.  The  pine  stands  not  more  erect 
or  unyielding,  in  a  summer's  noontide,  than  he  bore  up 
under  the  pain.  Indignantly  I  thrust  the  negro  away,  cut 
the  fellow's  bonds  with  my  own  hands,  and  drove  my  slave 
before  me  to  the  canoe. 


5ATANSTOE.  355 


CHAPTEK  XXIY. 

«  Pale  set  the  sun  —  the  shades  of  evening  fell, 
The  mournful  night-wind  sung  their  funeral  knell  ; 
And  the  same  day  beheld  their  warriors  dead, 
Their  sovereign  captive  and  their  glory  fled  !" 

MRS. 


I  SHALL  never  forget  the  journey  of  that  fearful  night. 
Susquesus  paddled  the  canoe,  unaided  by  us,  who  were  too 
much  fatigued  with  the  toil  of  the  day,  to  labour  much,  as 
soon  as  we  found  ourselves  in  a  place  of  safety.  Even  Jaap 
lay  down  and  slept  for  several  hours,  the  sleep  of  the  weary. 
I  do  not  think  any  of  us,  however,  actually  slept  for  the 
first  hour  or  two,  the  scenes  through  which  we  had  just 
passed,  and  that,  indeed,  through  which  we  were  then  pass 
ing,  acting  as  preventives  to  such  an  indulgence. 

It  must  have  been  about  nine  in  the  evening,  when  our 
canoe  quitted  the  ill-fated  shore  at  the  south  end  of  Lake 
George,  moving  steadily  and  silently  along  the  eastern  mar 
gin  of  the  sheet.  By  that  time,  fully  five  hundred  boats  had 
departed  for  the  head  of  the  lake,  the  retreat  having  com 
menced  long  before  sunset.  No  order  was  observed  in  this 
melancholy  procession,  each  batleau  moving  off  as  her  load 
was  completed.  All  the  wounded  were  on  the  placid  bosom 
of  the  *  Holy  Lake,'  as  some  writers  have  termed  this  sheet 
of  limpid  water,  by  the  time  we  ourselves  got  in  motion; 
and  the  sounds  of  parting  boats  told  us  that  the  unhurt  were 
following  as  fast  as  circumstances  would  allow. 

What  a  night  it  was  !  There  was  no  moon,  and  a  veil 
of  dark  vapour  was  drawn  across  the  vault  of  the  heavens, 
concealing  most  of  the  mild  summer  stars,  that  ought  to 
have  been  seen  twinkling  in  their  Creator's  praise.  Down, 
between  the  boundaries  of  hills,  there  was  not  a  breath  of 
air,  though  we  occasionally  heard  the  sighings  of  light  cur 
rents  among  the  tree-tops,  above  us.  The  eastern  shore 
having  fewer  sinuosities  than  the  western,  most  of  the  boats 
followed  its  dark,  frowning  mass,  as  the  nearest  route,  and 
we  soon  found  ourselves  near  the  line  of  the  retiring  batteaux. 


356  SATANSTOE. 

J  call  it  the  line,  for  though  there  was  no  order  observed* 
each  party  making  the  best  of  its  way  to  the  common  point 
of  destination,  there  were  so  many  boats  in  motion  at  the 
same  time,  that,  far  as  the  eye  could  penetrate  by  that 
gloomy  light,  an  unbroken  succession  of  them  was  visible. 
Our  motion  was  faster  than  that  of  these  heavily-laden  and 
feebly-rowed  batteaux,  the  soldiers  being  too  much  fatigued 
to  toil  at  the  oars,  after  the  day  they  had  just  gone  through. 
We  consequently  passed  nearly  everything,  and  soon  got  on 
a  parallel  course  with  that  of  the  boats,  moving  along  at  a 
few  rods  in-shore  of  them.  Dirck  remarked,  however,  that 
two  or  three  small  craft  even  passed  us.  They  went  so 
near  the  mountain,  quite  within  its  shadows,  in  fact,  as  to 
render  it  difficult  to  say  what  they  were;  though  it  was 
supposed  they  might  be  whale-boats,  of  which  there  were 
more  than  a  hundred  in  the  flotilla,  carrying  officers  of 
rank. 

No  one  spoke.  It  appeared  to  me  that  not  a  human 
voice  was  raised  among  those  humiliated  and  defeated  thou 
sands.  The  plash  of  oars,  so  long  as  we  were  at  a  distance 
from  the  line,  alone  broke  the  silence  of  night ;  but  that  was 
incessant.  As  our  canoe  drew  ahead,  however,  an  hour  or 
two  after  we  had  left  the  shore,  and  we  overtook  the  boats 
that  had  first  started,  the  moaning  and  groans  of  the  wounded 
became  blended  with  the  monotonous  sounds  of  the  oars.  In 
two  respects,  these  unfortunate  men  had  reason  to  felicitate 
themselves,  notwithstanding  their  sufferings.  No  army 
could  have  transported  its  wounded  with  less  pain  to  the 
hurt ;  and  the  feverish  thirst  that  loss  of  blood  always  in 
duces,  might  be  assuaged  by  the  limpid  element  on  which 
we  all  floated. 

After  paddling  for  hours,  Susquesus  was  relieved  by  Jaap , 
Dirck,  Guert  and  myself  occasionally  lending  our  aid. 
Each  had  a  paddle,  and  each  used  it  as  he  saw  fit,  while  the 
Onondago  slept.  Occasionally  I  caught  a  nap,  myself,  as 
did  my  companions ;  and  we  all  felt  refreshed  by  the  rest 
and  sleep.  -At  length  we  reached  the  narrow  pass,  that 
separated  the  Upper  from  the  Lower  Lake,  and  we  entered 
the  former.  This  is  near  the  place  where  the  islands  are 
BO  numerous,  and  we  were  unavoidably  made  to  pass  quite 
close  to  some  of  the  batteaux.  I  say  to  some,  for  the  line 


I  SATANSTOE.  357 

became  broken  at  this  point,  each  boat  going  through  the 
openings  it  found  the  most  convenient. 

"  Come  nearer  with  that  bark  canoe,"  called  out  an  offi 
cer,  from  a  batteau ;  "  I  wish  to  learn  who  is  in  it." 

"  We  are  volunteers,  that  joined  the th,  the  day  the 

army  moved  up,  and  were  guests  of  Major  Bulstrode.  Pray 
sir,  can  you  tell  us  where  that  officer  can  be  found  ?" 

"  Poor  Bulstrode !  He  got  a  very  awkward  hit,  early  in 
the  day,  and  was  taken  past  me  to  the  rear.  He  will  be 
able  neither  to  walk  nor  to  ride,  for  some  months,  if  they 
save  his  leg.  I  heard  the  Commander-In-Chief  order  him 
to  be  sent  across  the  lake,  in  the  first  boat  with  wounded  ; 
and  some  one  told  me,  Bulstrode,  himself,  expressed  an  in 
tention  to  be  carried  some  distance,  to  a  friend's  house,  to 
escape  from  the  abominations  of  an  army  hospital.  The 
fellow  has  horses  enough  to  transport  him,  on  a  horse-litter, 
to  Cape  Horn,  if  he  wishes  it.  I  '11  warrant  you,  Bulstrode 
works  his  way  into  good  quarters,  if  they  are  to  be  had  in 
America.  I  suppose  this  arm  of  mine  will  have  to  come  off, 
as  soon  as  we  reach  Fort  William  Henry ;  and,  that  job 
done,  I  confess  I  should  like  amazingly  to  keep  him  com 
pany.  Proceed,  gentlemen ;  I  hope  I  have  not  detained 
you ;  but,  observing  a  bark  canoe,  I  thought  it  my  duty  to 
ascertain  we  were  not  followed  by  spies." 

This,  then,  was  another  victim  of  war !  He  spoke  of  the 
loss  of  his  arm,  notwithstanding,  with  as  much  coolness  as 
if  it  were  the  loss  of  a  tooth ;  yet,  I  question  not,  that  in 
secret,  he  mourned  over  the  calamity  in  bitterness  of  heart. 
Men  never  wear  the  mask  more  completely  than  when 
excited  and  stimulated  by  the  rivalry  of  arms.  Bulstrode, 
too,  at  Ravensnest !  He  could  be  carried  nowhere  else,  so 
easily ;  and,  should  his  wound  be  of  a  nature  that  did  not 
require  constant  medical  treatment,  where  could  he  be  so 
happily  bestowed  as  under  the  roof  of  Herman  Mordaunt  ? 
Shall  I  confess  that  the  idea  gave  me  great  pain,  and  that 
I  was  fool  enough  to  wish  I,  too,  could  return  to  Anneke, 
and  appeal  to  her  sympathies,  by  dragging  with  me  a 
wounded  limb ! 

Our  canoe  now  passed  quite  near  another  batteau,  the 
officer  m  command  of  which  was  standing  erect,  seemingly 
watching  our  movements.  He  appeared  to  be  unhurt,  but 


358  SATANSTOE. 

was  probably  intrusted  with  some  special  duty.  As  wo 
paddled  by,  the  following  curious  conversation  occurred. 

"  You  move  rapidly  to  the  rear,  my  friends,"  observed 
(he  stranger ;  "  pray  moderate  your  zeal ;  others  are  in 
advance  of  you  with  the  evil  tidings!"" 

"  You  must  think  ill  of  our  patriotism  and  loyalty,  sir,  to 
imagine  we  are  hastening  on  with  the  intelligence  of  a  check 
to  the  British  arms,"  I  answered  as  drily,  and  almost  as 
equivocally,  in  manner,  as  the  other  had  spoken. 

"  The  check  ! — I  beg  a  thousand  pardons — I  see  you  are 
patriots,  and  of  the  purest  water!  Check  is  just  the  word; 
though  check-mate  would  be  more  descriptive  and  signifi* 
cant !  A  charming  time  we've  had  of  it,  gentlemen  !  What 
say  you? — it  is  your  move,  now." 

"  There  has  been  much  firmness  and  gallantry  manifested 
by  the  troops,"  I  answered,  "  as  we,  who  have  been  merely 
volunteers,  will  always  be  ready  to  testify." 

"I  beg  your  pardons,  again  and  again,"  returned  the 
officer,  raising  his  hat  and  bowing  profoundly — "  I  did  not 
know  I  had  the  honour  to  address  volunteers.  You  are 
entitled  to  superlative  respect,  gentlemen,  having  come  vo 
luntarily  into  such  a  field.  For  my  part,  I  find  the  honour 
oppressive,  having  no  such  supererogatory  virtue  to  boast 
of.  Volunteers !  On  my  word,  gentlemen,  you  will  have 
many  wonders  to  relate,  when  you  get  back  into  the  family 
circle." 

"  We  shall  have  to  speak  of  the  gallantry  of  the  High 
landers,  for  we  saw  all  they  did  and  all  they  suffered." 

"Ah!  Were  you,  then,  near  that  brave  corps!"  ex 
claimed  the  other,  with  something  like  honest,  natural  feel 
ing,  for  the  first  time  exhibited  in  his  voice  and  meaning; 
"  I  honour  men  who  were  only  spectators  of  so  much  cou 
rage,  especially  if  they  took  a  tolerably  near  view  of  it. 
May  I  venture  to  ask  your  names,  gentlemen." 

I  answered,  giving  him  our  names,  and  mentioning  the 
fact  that  we  had  been  the  guest  of  Bulstrode,  and  how  much 
we  were  disappointed  in  having  missed  not  only  our  friend, 
but  his  corps. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  honour  courage,  let  it  come  whence  it 
may,"  said  the  stranger,  with  strong  feeling,  and  no  acting, 
"•  and  most  admire  it  when  I  see  it  exhibited  by  natives  of 


SATANSTOE.  359 

these  colonies,  in  a  quarrel  of  their  own.  I  have  heard  of 
you  as  being  with  poor  Howe,  when  he  fell,  and  hope  to 
know  more  of  you.  As  for  Mr.  Bulstrode,  he  has  passed 
southward,  now  some  hours,  and  intends  to  make  his  cure 
among  some  connections  that  he  has  in  this  province.  Do 
not  let  this  be  the  last  of  our  intercourse,  I  beg  of  you  ;  but 

look  up  Capt.  Charles  Lee,  of  the th,  who  will  be  glad 

to  take  each  and  all  of  you  by  the  hand,  when  we  once  more 
get  into  camp." 

We  expressed  our  thanks,  but  Susquesus  causing  the 
canoe  to  make  a  sudden  inclination  towards  the  shore,  the 
conversation  was  suddenly  interrupted. 

By  this  time  the  Indian  was  awake,  and  exercising  his 
authority  in  the  canoe,  again.  Gliding  among  the  islands, 
he  shortly  landed  us  at  the  precise  point  where  we  had  em 
barked  only  five  days  before.  Securing  his  little  bark,  the 
Onondago  led  the  way  up  the  ravine,  and  brought  us  out  on 
the  naked  cap  of  the  mountain,  where  we  had  before  slept, 
after  an  hour  of  extreme  effort. 

If  the  night  had  been  so  memorable,  the  picture  presented 
at  the  dawn  of  day,  was  not  less  so !  We  reached  that  lofty 
look-out  about  the  same  time  in  the  morning  as  the  Indian 
had  awakened  me  on  the  previous  occasion,  and  had  the  same 
natural  outlines  to  the  view.  In  one  sense,  also,  the  artifi 
cial  accessaries  were  the  same,  though  exhibited  under  a 
very  different  aspect.  I  presume  the  truth  will  not  be  much, 
if  any  exceeded,  when  I  say  that  a  thousand  boats  were  in 
sight,  on  this,  as  on  the  former  occasion  !  A  few,  a  dozen 
or  so,  at  most,  appeared  to  have  reached  the  head  of  the 
lake  ;  but  all  the  rest  of  that  vast  flotilla  was  scattered  along 
the  placid  surface  of  the  lovely  sheet,  forming  a  long,  strag 
gling  line  of  dark  spots,  that  extended  to  the  beach  under 
Fort  William  Henry,  in  one  direction,  and  far  as  eye  could 
reach  in  the  other.  How  different  did  that  melancholy, 
broken  procession  of  boats  appear,  from  the  gallant  array, 
the  martial  bands,  the  cheerful  troops,  and  the  multitude  of 
ardent  young  men  who  had  pressed  forward,  in  brigades, 
less  than  a  week  before,  filled  with  hope,  and  exulting  in 
their  strength  !  As  I  gazed  on  the  picture  A  could  not  but 
fancy  to  myself  the  vast  amount  of  physical  pain,  the  keen 
mental  suffering,  and  the  deep  mortification  that  might  have 


360  SATANSTOE. 

been  found,  amid  that  horde  of  returning  adventurers.  We 
had  just  come  up  from  the  level  of  this  scene  of  human 
agony,  and  our  imaginations  could  portray  details  that  were 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  senses,  at  the  elevation  on  which  we 
stood. 

A  week  before,  and  the  name  of  Abercrombie  filled  every 
mouth  in  America ;  expectation  had  almost  placed  his  re 
nown  on  that  giddy  height,  where  performance  itself  is  so 
often  insecure.  In  the  brief  interval,  he  was  destroyed. 
Those  who  had  been  ready  to  bless  him,  would  now  heap 
curses  on  his  devoted  head,  and  none  would  be  so  bold  as 
to  urge  aught  in  his  favour.  Men  in  masses,  when  goaded 
by  disappointment,  are  never  just.  It  is,  indeed,  a  hard 
lesson  for  the  individual  to  acquire ;  but,  released  from  his 
close,  personal  responsibility,  the  single  man  follows  the 
crowd,  and  soothes  his  own  mortification  and  wounded  pride 
by  joining  in  the  cry  that  is  to  immolate  a  victim.  Yet 
Abercrombie  was  not  the  foolhardy  and  besotted  bully  that 
Braddock  had  proved  himself  to  be.  His  misfortune  was  to 
be  ignorant  of  the  warfare  of  the  region  in  which  he  was 
required  to  serve,  and  possibly  to  over-estimate  the  imagi 
nary  invincible  character  of  the  veterans  he  led.  In  a  very 
short  time  he  was  recalled,  and  America  heard  no  more  of 
him.  As  some  relief  to  the  disgrace  that  had  anew  alighted 
on  the  British  arms,  Bradstreet,  a  soldier  who  knew  the 
country,  and  who  placed  much  reliance  on  the  young  man 
of  her  name  and  family  whom  I  had  met  at  Madam  Schuy- 
ler's,  marched  against  Frontenac,  in  Canada,  at  the  head  of 
a  strong  body  of  provincials ;  an  enterprise  that,  as  it  was 
conducted  with  skill,  resulted  in  a  triumph. 

But  with  all  this  my  narrative  has  no  proper  connection. 
No  sooner  did  we  reach  the?  bald  mountain-top,  than  the 
Onondago  directed  Jaap  to  light  a  fire,  while  he  produced, 
from  a  deposit  left  on  the  advance,  certain  of  the  materials 
that  were  necessary  to  a  meal.  As  neither  of  us  had  tasted 
food  since  the  morning  of  the  previous  day,  this  repast  was 
welcome,  and  we  all  partook  of  it  like  so  many  famished 
men.  The  negro  got  his  share,  of  course,  and  then  we 
called  a  council  as  to  future  proceedings. 

"  The  question  is,  whether  we  ought  to  make  a  straight 
path  to  Ravensnest,"  observed  Guert,  "  or  proceed  first  to 


SATANSTOE.  36i 

the  surveyor's,  and  see  how  things  are  going  on  iaa  tiidt  di 
rection." 

"As  there  can  be  no  great  danger  of  a  pursuit  on  the  pan 
of  the  French,  since  all  their  boats  are  in  the  other  lake,"  I 
remarked,  "  the  state  of  the  country  is  very  much  what  it 
was  before  the  army  moved." 

"Ask  that  question  of  the  Indian,"  put  in  Dirck,  a  little 
significantly. 

We  looked  at  Susquesus  inquiringly,  for  a  look  always 
sufficed  to  let  him  comprehend  us,  when  a  tolerably  plair 
allusion  had  been  previously  made. 

"  Black-man  do  foolish  t'ing,"  observed  the  Onondago. 

"  What  I  do,  you  red-skin  devil  ?"  demanded  Jaap,  whc 
felt  a  sort  of  natural  antipathy  to  all  Indians,  good  or  bad, 
excellent  or  indifferent ;  a  feeling  that  the  Indians  repaid  to 
nis  race  by  contempt  indifferently  concealed.  "  What  I  do, 
red-devil,  ha? — dat  you  dares  tell  Masser  Corny  dat!" 

Susquesus  manifested  no  resentment  at  this  strong  and 
somewhat  rude  appeal ;  but  sat  as  motionless  as  if  he  had 
not  heard  it.  This  vexed  Jaap  so  much  the  more ;  and,  my 
fellow  being  exceedingly  pugnacious  on  all  occasions  that 
touched  his  pride,  there  might  have  been  immediate  war 
between  the  two,  had  I  not  raised  a  finger,  at  once  effectu 
ally  stilling  the  outbreak  of  Jacob  Satanstoe's  wrath. 

"  You  should  not  bring  such  a  charge  against  my  slave, 
Onondago,"  I  said,  "  unless  able  to  prove  it." 

"  He  beat  red  warrior  like  dog." 

"  What  of  dat !"  growled  Jaap,  who  was  only  half-quieted 
by  my  sign.  "  Who  ebber  hear  it  hurt  red-skin  to  rope-end 
him?" 

"  Warrior  back  like  squaw's.  Blow  hurt  him.  He  never 
forget." 

"  Well,  let  him  remember  den,"  grinned  the  negro,  show 
ing  his  ivory  teeth  from  ear  to  ear.  "  Muss  was  my  pri 
soner  ;  and  what  good  he  do  me,  if  he  let  go  widout  punish 
ment.  I  wish  you  tell  Masser  Corny  dat,  instead  of  tellin* 
him  nonsense.  When  he  flog  me,  who  ebber  hear  me 
grumble?" 

"  You  have  not  had  half  enough  of  it,  Jaap,  or  your 
manners  would  be  better,"  I  thought  it  necessary  to  put  in, 
for  the  fellow  had  never  before  manifested  so  quarrelsome  a 
31 


362  SATANSTOE. 

disposition  in  my  presence ;  most  probably  because  I  had 
never  before  seen  him  at  variance  with  an  Indian.  "  Let 
me  hear  no  more  of  this,  or  I  shall  be  obliged  to  pay  off  the 
arrears  on  the  spot." 

"A  little  hiding  does  a  nigger  good,  sometimes,"  observed 
Guert,  significantly. 

I  observed  that  Dirck,  who  loved  my  very  slave  princi 
pally  because  he  was  mine,  looked  at  the  offender  reprov 
ingly  ;  and  by  these  combined  demonstrations,  we  succeeded 
in  curbing  the  fellow's  tongue. 

"  Well,  Susquesus,"  I  added,  "  we  all  listen,  to  hear  what 
you  mean. 

"  Musquerusque  chief —  Huron  chief —  got  very  tender 
back  ;  never  forget  rope." 

"  You  mean  us  to  understand  that  my  black's  prisoner 
will  be  apt  to  make  some  attempt  to  revenge  himself  for  the 
flogging  he  got  from  his  captor  ?" 

"  Just  so.  Indian  good  memory — no  forget  friend — no 
forget  enemy." 

"  But  your  Huron  will  be  puzzled  to  find  us,  Onondago. 
'He  will  suppose  us  with  the  army;  and,  should  he  even 
venture  to  look  for  us  there,  you  see  he  will  be  disap 
pointed." 

"Never  know.  Wood  full  of  paths  —  Injin  full  of  cun 
ning.  Why  talk  of  Ravensnest  ?" 

"  Was  the  name  of  Ravensnest  mentioned  in  the  presence 
of  that  Huron  ?"  I  asked,  more  uneasy  than  such  a  trifle 
would  probably  have  justified  me  in  confessing1. 

"Ay,  something  was  said  about  it ,  but  not  in  a  way  the 
fellow  could  understand,"  answered  Guert,  carelessly.  "Let 
him  come  on,  if  he  has  not  had  enough  of  us  yet." 

This  was  not  my  manner  of  viewing  the  matter,  however; 
for  the  mentioning  of  Ravensnest  brought  Anneke  to  my 
mind,  surrounded  by  the  horrors  of  an  Indian's  revenge. 

"  I  will  send  you  back  to  the  Huron,  Susquesus,"  I  added, 
"if  you  can  name  to  me  the  price  that  will  purchase  his  for 
giveness." 

The  Onondago  looked  at  me  meaningly  a  moment;  then, 
bending  forward,  he  passed  the  fore-finger  of  his  hand 
around  the  head  of  Jaap,  along  the  line  that  is  commonly 
made  by  the  knife  of  the  warrior,  as  he  cuts  away  the  trophy 


SATANSTOE.  363 

ol  Access  from  his  victim.  Jaap  comprehended  the  mean- 
ing  of  this  very  significant  gesture,  as  well  as  any  of  us, 
and  the  manner  in  which  he  clutched  the  wool,  as  if  to  keep 
the  scalp  in  its  place,  set  us  all  laughing.  The  negro  did 
not  partake  of  our  mirth ;  but  I  saw  that  he  regarded  the 
Indian,  much  as  the  bull-dog  shows  his  teeth,  before  he 
makes  his  spring.  Another  motion  of  my  finger,  however, 
quelled  the  rising.  It  was  necessary  to  put  an  end  to  this, 
and  Jaap  was  ordered  to  prepare  our  packs,  in  readiness  for 
the  expected  march.  Relieved  from  his  presence,  Susque- 
sus  was  asked  to  be  more  explicit. 

"  You  know  Injin,"  the  Onondago  answered.  "  Now  he 
t'ink  red-coats  driv'  away  and  skeared,  he  go  look  for  scalp. 
Love  all  sort  scalp — old  scalp,  young  scalp — man  scalp, 
woman  scalp  —  boy  scalp,  gal  scalp  —  all  get  pay,  all  get 
honour.  No  difference  to  him." 

"Ay !"  exclaimed  Guert,  with  a  strong  aspiration,  such 
as  escapes  a  man  who  feels  strongly ;  "  he  is  a  devil  incar 
nate,  when  he  once  gets  fairly  on  the  scent  of  blood !  So 
you  expect  these  French  Injins  will  make  an  excursion  in 
among  the  settlers,  out  here  to  the  south-east  of  us  ?" 

"  Go  to  nearest — don't  care  where  he  be.  Nearest  your 
friend ;  won't  like  that,  s'pose  ?" 

"You  are  right  enough,  Onondago,  in  saying  that.  I 
shall  not  like  it,  nor  will  my  companions,  here,  like  it ;  and 
the  first  thing  you  will  have  to  do,  will  be  to  guide  us, 
straight  as  the  bird  flies,  to  the  Ravensnest ;  the  picketed 
house,  you  know,  where  we  have  left  our  sweethearts." 

Susquesus  understood  all  that  was  said,  without  any  diffi 
culty;  in  proof  of  which,  he  smiled  at  this  allusion  to  the 
precious  character  of  the  inmates  of  the  house  Guert  told 
him  to  seek. 

"  Squaw  pretty  'nough,"  he  answered,  complacently. 
"  No  wonder  young  man  like  him.  But,  can't  go  there, 
now.  First  find  friends  measure  land.  All  Injin  land 
once  !" 

This  last  remark  was  made  in  a  way  I  did  not  like ;  for 
the  idea  seemed  to  cross  the  Onondago's  brain  so  suddenly, 
as  to  draw  from  him  this  brief  assertion  in  pure  bitterness 
of  spirit. 

"  I  should  be  very  sorry  if  it  had  not  been,  Susquesus,' 


364  SATANSTOE. 

I  observed,  myself,  "since  the  title  is  all  the  better  for  its 
having  been  so,  as  our  Indian  deed  will  show.  You  know, 
of  course,  that  my  father,  and  his  friend,  Col.  Pollock, 
bought  this  land  of  the  Mohawks,  and  paid  them  their  own 
price  for  it." 

"  Red-man  nebber  measure  land  so.  He  p'int  with  finger, 
break  bush  down,  and  say,  *  there,  take  from  that  water  to 
that  water.' " 

"All  very  true,  my  friend ;  but,  as  that  sort  of  measure 
ment  will  not  answer  to  keep  farms  separate,  we  are  obliged 
to  survey  the  whole  off  into  lots  of  smaller  size.  The  Mo 
hawks  first  gave  my  father  and  his  friend,  as  much  land  as 
they  could  walk  round  in  two  suns,  allowing  them  the  night 
to  rest  in." 

"That  good  deed!"  exclaimed  the  Indian,  with  strong 
emphasis.  "  Leg  can't  cheat — pen  great  rogue." 

"  Well,  we  have  the  benefit  of  both  grants ;  for  the  pro 
prietors  actually  walked  round  the  estate,  a  party  of  Indians 
accompanying  them,  to  see  that  all  was  fair.  After  that, 
the  chiefs  signed  a  deed  in  writing,  that  there  might  be  no 
mistake,  and  then  we  got  the  King's  grant." 

"  Who  give  King  land,  at  all  ? — All  land  here  red-man 
land  ;  who  give  him  to  king?" 

"  Who  made  the  Delawares  women  ? — The  warriors  of 
he  Six  nations,  was  it  not,  Susquesus  ?" 

"  Yes — my  people  help.  Six  Nation  great  warrior,  and 
put  petticoat  on  Delawares,  so  they  can't  go  on  war-path 
any  more.  What  that  to  do  with  King's  land  ?" 

"  Why,  the  King's  warriors,  you  know,  my  friend,  have 
taken  possession  of  this  country,  just  as  the  Six  Nations 
took  possession  of  the  Delawares,  before  they  made  them 
women." 

'*  What  become  of  King's  warrior,  now  ?"  demanded  the 
Indian,  quick  as  lightning.  "  Where  he  run  away  to  ? 
Where  land  Ticonderoga,  now  ?  Whose  land  t'other  end 
lake,  now?" 

"  Why,  the  King's  troops  have  certainly  met  with  a  dis 
aster  ;  and,  for  the  present,  their  rights  are  weakened,  it 
must  be  admitted.  But,  another  day  may  see  all  this 
changed,  and  the  King  will  got  his  land  again.  You  will 
remember,  he  has  not  sold  Ticonderoga  to  the  French,  as 


SATANSTOE.  365 

the  Mohawks  sold  Mooseridge  to  us ;  and  that,  you  must 
admit,  makes  a  great  difference.  A  bargain  is  a  bargain, 
Onondago." 

"  Yes,  bargain,  bargain — that  good.  Good  for  red-man, 
good  for  pale-face — no  difference — what  Mohawk  sell,  he 
no  take  back,  but  let  pale-face  keep — but  how  come  Mo 
hawk  and  King  sell,  too  ?"  Bot'  own  land,  eh  ?" 

This  was  rather  a  puzzling  question  to  answer  to  an  In 
dian.  We  white  people  can  very  well  understand  that  a 
human  government,  which  professes,  on  the  principles  re 
cognised  by  civilized  nations,  to  have  jurisdiction  over  cer 
tain  extensive  territories  that  lie  in  the  virgin  forest,  and 
which  are  used  only,  and  that  occasionally,  by  certain  sa 
vage  tribes  as  hunting-grounds,  should  deem  it  right  to 
satisfy  those  tribes,  by  purchase,  before  they  parcelled  out 
their  lands  for  the  purposes  of  civilized  life ;  but,  it  would 
not  be  so  easy  to  make  an  unsophisticated  mind  understand 
that  there  could  be  two  owners  to  the  same  property.  The 
transaction  is  simple  enough  to  us,  and  it  tells  in  favour  of 
our  habits,  for  we  have  the  power  to  grant  these  lands  with 
out  4  extinguishing  the  Indian  title,'  as  it  is  termed  ;  but  it 
presents  difficulties  to  the  understandings  of  those  who  are 
not  accustomed  to  see  society  surrounded  by  the  multifarious 
interests  of  civilization.  In  point  of  fact,  the  Indian  pur 
chases  give  no  other  title,  under  our  laws,  than  the  right  to 
sue  out,  in  council,  a  claim  to  acquire  by  the  grant  of  the 
crown;  paying  to  the  latter  such  a  consideration  as  in 
its  wisdom  it  shall  see  fit  to  demand.  Still,  it  was  necessary 
to  make  some  answer  to  the  Onondago's  question,  lest  he 
might  carry  away  the  mistaken  notion  that  we  did  not  justly 
own  our  possessions. 

"  Suppose  you  find  a  rifle  to  your  fancy,  Susquesus,"  I 
said,  after  reflecting  a  moment  on  the  subject,  "  and  you  find 
two  Indians  who  both  claim  to  own  it ;  now,  if  you  pay  each 
warrior  his  price,  is  your  right  to  the  title  any  the  worse  for 
having  done  so  ?  Is  it  not  rather  better  ?" 

The  Indian  was  struck  with  this  reply,  which  suited  the 

character  of  his  mind.     Thrusting  out  his  hand,  he  received 

mine,  and  shook  it  cordially,  as  much  as  to  say  he  was 

satisfied.     Having  disposed  of  this  episode  thus  satisfactorily, 

31  * 


366  SATANSTOE. 

we  turned  to  the  more  interesting  subject  of  our  immediate 
movements. 

"  It  would  seem  that  the  Onondago  expects  the  French 
Indians  will  now  strike  at  the  settlements,"  I  remarked  to 
my  companions,  "  and,  that  our  friends  at  Ravensnest  may 
need  our  aid ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  he  thinks  we  should 
first  return  to  Mooseridge,  and  join  the  surveyors.  Which 
mode  of  proceeding  strikes  you  as  the  best,  my  friends  ?" 

"  Let  us  first  hear  the  Injin's  reasons  for  going  after  the 
surveyors,"  answered  Guert.  "  If  he  has  a  sufficient  reason 
for  his  plan,  I  am  ready  to  follow  it." 

"  Surveyor  got  scalp,  as  well  as  squaw,"  said  Susquesus, 
in  his  brief,  meaning  manner. 

"  That  must  settle  the  point !"  exclaimed  Guert.  "  I  un 
derstand  it  all,  now.  The  Onondago  thinks  the  Mooseridge 
party  may  be  cut  off,  as  being  alone  and  unsupported,  and 
that  we  ought  to  apprise  them  of  this  danger." 

"All  perfectly  just,"  I  replied,  "  and  it  is  what  they, being 
our  own  people,  have  a  right  to  expect  from  us.  Still, 
Guert,  I  should  think  those  surveyors  might  be  safe  where 
they  are,  in  the  bosom  of  the  forest,  for  a  year  to  come. 
Their  business  there  cannot  be  known,  and  who  is  then  to 
betray  them  ?" 

"  See,"  said  Susquesus,  earnestly.  "  Kill  deer,  and  leave 
him  in  the  wood.  Won't  raven  £nd  carcass  ?" 

"  That  may  be  true  enough  ;  but  a  raven  has  an  instinct, 
given  him  by  nature,  to  furnish  him  with  food.     He  flies 
high  in  the  air,  moreover,  and  can  «ee  farther  than  an  In 
dian." 

"  Nuttin'  see  farther  than  Injin .'  Red-man  fly  high,  too. 
See  from  salt  lake  to  sweet  water.  Know  ebbery  t'ing  in 
wood.  Tell  him  nuttin'  he  don't  know." 

"You  do  not  suppose,  Susquesus,  that  the  Huron  warriors 
could  find  our  surveyors,  at  Mooseridge?" 

"  Why,  no  find  him  ?  Find  moose  ;  why  no  find  ridge, 
too?  Find  Mooseridge,  sartain  ;  find  land-measurer." 

"  On  the  whole,  Corny,"  Guert  remarked  after  musing  a 
little,  "  we  may  do  well  to  follow  the  Injin's  advice.  I  have 
heard  of  so  many  misfortunes  that  have  befallen  people  in 
the  bush,  from  having  despised  Indian  counsels,  that  I  own 
to  a  little  superstition  on  the  subject.  Just  look  at  what 


SATAN  STOE.  367 

happened  yesterday !  Had  red-skin  opinions  been  taken, 
Abercrombie  might  now  have  been  a  conqueror,  instead  of 
a  miserable,  beaten  man." 

Susquesus  raised  a  finger,  and  his  dark  countenance  be 
came  illumined  by  an  expression  that  was  more  eloquent 
even  than  his  tongue. 

"  Why  no  open  ear  to  red-man  !"  he  asked,  with  dignity. 
"  Some  bird  sing  a  song  that  good — some  sing  bad  song — 
but  all  bird  know  his  own  song.  Mohawk  warrior  use  to 
wood,  and  follow  a  crooked  war-path,  when  he  meet  much 
enemy.  Great  Yengeese  chief  think  his  warrior  have  two 
life,  that  he  put  him  before  cannon  and  rifle,  to  stand  up  and 
be  shot.  No  Injin  do  so  foolish — no — never  !" 

As  this  was  too  true  to  be  controverted,  the  matter  was 
not  discussed  ;  but,  having  determined  among  ourselves  to 
let  the  Onondago  take  us  back  on  the  path  by  which  we  had 
come,  we  announced  our  readiness  to  start  as  soon  as  it 
might  suit  his  convenience.  Being  sufficiently  rested,  Sus 
quesus,  who  did  everything  on  system,  manifesting  neither 
impatience  nor  laziness,  arose  and  quietly  led  the  way. 
Our  course  was  just  the  reverse  of  that  on  which  we  had 
travelled  when  we  left  Mooseridge  ;  and  I  did  not  fail  to 
observe  that,  so  accurate  was  the  knowledge  of  our  guide, 
we  passed  many  of  the  same  objects  as  we  had  previously 
gone  near.  There  was  nothing  like  a  track,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  occasional  foot-prints  left  by  ourselves ;  but  it  was 
evident  the  Onondago  paid  not  the  least  attention  to  these, 
possessing  other  and  more  accessible  clues  to  his  course. 

Guert  marched  next  to  the  Indian,  and  I  was  third  in  the 
line.  How  often,  that  busy  day,  did  I  gaze  at  my  file-leader, 
in  admiration  of  his  figure  and  mien  !  Nature  appeared  to 
have  intended  him  for  a  soldier.  Although  so  powerful,  his 
frame  was  agile  —  a  particular  in  which  he  differed  from 
Dirck  ;  who,  although  so  young,  already  gave  symptoms 
of  heaviness,  at  no  distant  day.  Then  Guert's  carriage  was 
as  fine  as  his  form.  The  head  was  held  erect ;  the  eye  was 
intrepid  in  its  glance  ;  and  the  tread  elastic,  though  so  firm. 
To  the  last  hour,  on  that  long  and  weary  march,  Guert 
leaped  logs,  sprang  across  hollows  in  the  ground,  and  other 
wise  manifested  that  his  iron  sinews  and  hardened  muscles 
still  retained  all  their  powers.  As  he  moved  in  my  front,  I 


SATANSTOE. 

saw,  for  the  first  time,  that  some  of  the  fringe  of  his  hunt 
ing-shirt  had  been  cut  away  in  the  fight,  and  that  a  musket- 
ball  had  passed  directly  through  his  cap.  I  afterwards 
ascertained  that  Guert  was  aware  of  these  escapes,  but  his 
nature  was  so  manly,  he  did  not  think  of  mentioning  them. 

We  made  a  single  hult,  as  before,  to  dine ;  but  little  was 
said,  at  this  meal,  and  no  change  in  our  plan  was  proposed. 
This  was  the  point  where  we  ought  to  have  diverged  from 
the  former  course,  did  we  intend  to  proceed  first  to  Ravens- 
nest  ;  but,  though  all  knew  it,  nothing  was  said  on  the  sub 
ject. 

"  We  shall  carry  unwelcome  tidings  to  Mr.  Traverse, 
and  his  men,"  Guert  observed,  a  minute  or  two  before  our 
halt  was  up  ;  "  for,  I  take  it  for  granted,  the  news  cannot 
have  gone  ahead  of  us." 

"  We  first,"  answered  the  Onondago.  "  Too  soon  for 
Huron,  yet.  T'ink  so — nobody  know." 

"  I  wish,  Corny,"  pursued  the  Albanian,  "  we  had  thought 
of  saying  a  word  to  Doortje  about  this  accursed  expedition. 
There  is  no  use  in  a  man's  being  above  his  business ;  and 
he  who  puts  himself  in  the  way  of  fortune,  might  profit  by 
now  and  then  consulting  a  fortune-teller." 

"  Had  we  done  so,  and  had  all  that  has  happened  been 
foretold,  do  you  suppose  it  would  have  made  any  change  in 
the  result?" 

"  Perhaps  not,  since  we  should  have  been  the  persons-  to 
relate  what  we  had  heard.  But,  Abercrombie,  himself,  need 
have  had  no  scruples  about  visiting  that  remarkable  old  wo- 
man.  She  's  a  wonderful  creature,  Corny,  as  we  must  allow, 
and  a  prudent  general  would  not  fail  to  respect  what  she  told 
him.  It  is  a  thousand  pities  that  either  the  Commander-In- 
Chief,  or  the  Adjutant-General,  had  not  paid  Doortje  a  visit 
before  they  left  Albany.  My  Lord  Howe's  valuable  life 
might  then  have  been  saved." 

"In  what  way,  Guert?  I  am  at  a  loss  to  see  in  what 
manner  any  good  could  come  of  it." 

"In  what  manner?  —  Why,  in  the  plainest  possible. 
Now,  suppose  Doortje  had  foretold  this  defeat;  it  is  clear, 
Abercrombie,  if  he  put  any  faith  in  the  old  woman,  would 
not  have  made  the  attack." 

"And  thus  defeat  the  defeat.     Do  you  not  see,  Guert,  tha* 


8ATANSTOE.  36£ 

the  soothsayer  can,  at  the  best,  but  foretell  what  is  to  hap 
pen,  and  that  which  must  come  will.  It  would  be  an  easy 
matter  for  any  of  us  to  get  great  reputations  for  fortune- 
telling,  if  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  predict  misfortunes,  in 
order  that  our  friends  might  avoid  them.  As  nothing  would 
ever  happen,  in  consequence  of  the  precautions  taken  to 
avert  the  evils,  a  name  would  be  easily  and  cheaply  main 
tained." 

"  By  St.  Nicholas !  Corny,  I  never  thought  of  that !  But, 
you  have  been  college-taught ;  and  a  thousand  things  are 
picked  up  at  colleges,  that  one  never  dreams  of  at  an  acade 
my.  I  see  reason,  every  dn.y,  to  lament  my  idleness  when 
a  boy ;  and  fortunate  shall  I  be,  if  I  do  not  lament  it  all  my 
life." 

Poor  Guert !  He  was  always  so  humble,  when  the  sub 
ject  of  education  arose,  however  accidentally  or  unintention 
ally  on  my  part,  that  it  was  never  commented  on,  that  it  did 
not  give  me  pain,  exciting  a  wish  to  avoid  it.  As  the  time 
for  the  halt  was  now  up,  it  was  easy  to  terminate  the  present 
discussion,  by  declaring  as  much,  and  proceeding  on  our 
way. 

We  had  a  hard  afternoon's  walk  of  it,  though  neither  of 
the  five  manifested  the  least  disposition  to  give  in.  As  for 
Susquesus,  to  me,  he  never  seemed  to  know  either  fatigue 
or  hunger.  He  was  doubtless  acquainted  with  both ;  but 
his  habits  of  self-command  were  so  severe,  as  to  enable  him 
completely  to  conceal  his  sufferings  in  this,  as  well  as  in 
most  other  respects. 

The  sun  was  near  setting  when  we  entered  within  the 
limits  of  the  Mooseridge  estate.  We  ascertained  this  fact 
by  passing  the  line-trees,  some  of  which  had  figures  cut  into 
their  barks,  to  denote  the  numbers  of  the  great  subdivisions 
of  the  property.  Guert  pointed  out  these  marks  ;  being  far 
more  accustomed  to  the  woods  than  either  Dirck  or  myself. 
Aided  by  such  guides,  we  had  no  difficulty  in  making  a  suf 
ficiently  straight  course  to  the  hut. 

Susquesus  thought  a  little  caution  necessary,  as  we  drew 
near  to  the  end  of  our  journey.  Causing  us  to  remain 
behind,  he  advanced  in  front,  himself,  to  reconnoitre.  A 
signal,  however,  soon  took  us  to  the  place  where  he  stood, 
when  we  discovered  the  hut  iust  as  we  had  left  it,  but  no  one 


370  SATANSTOE. 

near  it.  This  might  be  the  result  of  mere  accident,  the 
surveying  party  frequently  «  'camping  out,'  in  preference  to 
making  a  long  march  after  a  fatiguing  day's  work;  and 
Pete  would  be  very  likely  to  prefer  going  to  join  these  men, 
to  remaining  alone  in  the  hut.  We  advanced  to  the  build 
ing,  therefore,  with  confidence.  On  reaching  it,  we  found 
the  place  empty,  as  had  been  anticipated,  though  with  every 
sign  about  it  of  its  tenants  having  left  it  but  a  short  time 
previously ;  that  morning,  at  the  furthest. 

Jaap  set  about  preparing  a  supper  out  of  the  regular  sup 
plies  of  the  party;  all  of  which  were  found  in  their  places, 
and  in  abundance.  On  inquiry  of  the  fellow,  I  ascertained 
it  was  his  opinion  Mr.  Traverse  had  gone  off  that  very  day, 
most  probably  to  some  distant  portion  of  the  Patent,  taking 
Pete  with  him,  as  everything  was  covered  up  and  put  away 
with  that  sort  of  care  that  denotes  an  absence  of  some  little 
time.  The  Indian  heard  the  negro's  remark,  to  this  effect, 
and,  tossing  his  head  significantly,  he  said — 

"No  need  guess — go  see — light  enough — plenty  time. 
Injin  soon  tell." 

He  quitted  the  hut,  on  the  spot,  and  immediately  set  aboul 
this  self-assigned  duty. 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

"  Thou  tremblest ;  and  the  whiteness  in  thy  cheek 
la  apter  than  thy  tongue  to  tell  thy  errand." 

SHAKSPEARE. 

CURIOSITY  induced  me  to  follow  the  Indian,  in  order  to 
watch  his  movements.  Susquesus  proceeded  a  short  dis 
tance  from  the  hut,  quitting  the  knoll  entirely,  until  he 
reached  lower  land,  where  a  foot-print  would  be  most  likely 
to  be  visible,  when  he  commenced  a  slow  circuit  of  the  place, 
with  eyes  fastened  on  the  earth,  as  the  nose  of  the  hound 
follows  the  scent.  I  was  so  much  interested  in  the  Onon« 


SATANSTOE.  371 

dago's  manner,  as  to  join  him,  falling-in  in  his  rear,  in 
order  not  to  interfere  with  his  object. 

Of  foot-marks  there  were  plenty,  more  particularly  on  the 
low,  moist  ground,  where  we  were ;  but  they  all  appeared, 
to  me,  to  have  no  interest  with  the  Indian.  Most  of  our 
party  wore  moccasins ;  and  it  was  not  easy  to  see  how, 
under  such  circumstances,  and  amid  such  a  maze  of  impres 
sions,  it  could  be  possible  for  any  one  to  distinguish  a  hostile 
from  a  friendly  trail.  That  Susquesus  thought  the  thing 
might  be  done,  however,  was  very  evident  by  his  persever 
ance,  and  his  earnestness. 

At  first,  my  companion  met  with  no  success,  or  with  no 
thing  that  he  fancied  success ;  but,  after  making  half  the 
circuit  of  the  hut,  keeping  always  a  hundred  yards  distant 
from  it,  he  suddenly  slopped  ;  stooped  quite  to  the  earth  ;  then 
arose,  and,  slicking  a  broken  knot  into  the  ground,  as  a 
mark,  he  signed  to  me  to  keep  a  little  on  one  side,  while  he 
turned  at  right  angles  to  his  former  course,  and  moved  in 
wards  towards  our  dwelling.  I  followed  slowly,  watching 
his  movements,  step  by  step. 

In  this  manner  we  reached  the  hut,  deviating  from  a 
direct  line,  in  order  to  do  so.  At  the  hut,  itself,  Susquesus 
made  a  long  and  minute  examination  ;  but  even  I  could  see, 
that  the  marks  here  were  so  numerous,  as  to  baffle  even 
him.  After  finishing  his  search  at  this  point,  the  Indian 
turned,  and  went  back  to  the  place  where  he  had  stuck  the 
knot  in  the  ground.  In  doing  this,  however,  he  followed 
his  own  trail,  returning  by  precisely  the  same  deviating 
course  as  that  by  which  he  had  come.  This,  alone,  would 
have  satisfied  me  that  he  saw  more  than  I  did  ;  for,  to  own 
the  truth,  I  could  not  have  done  the  same  thing. 

When  we  reached  the  knot,  Susquesus  followed  that  (to 
me  invisible)  trail  outside  of  the  circle,  leading  off  into  the 
forest  in  a  direct  line  from  the  hut  and  spring.  I  continued 
near  him,  although  neither  had  spoken  during  the  whole  of 
this  examination,  which  had  now  lasted  quite  half  an  hour. 
4s  it  was  getting  dark,  however,  and  Jaap  showed  the  sig 
nal  that  our  supper  was  ready,  I  thought  it  might  be  well, 
at  length,  to  break  the  silence. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  all  this,  Trackless?"  I  inquired. 
ttDo  you  find  any  signs  of  a  trail  ?" 


372  SATANSTOE. 

"Good  trail"  —  Susquesus  answered;  "new  trail,  too 
Look  like  Huron !" 

This  was  startling  intelligence,  certainly  ;  yet,  much  as  I 
was  disposed  to  defer  to  my  companion's  intelligence  in 
such  matters,  in  general,  I  thought  he  must  be  mistaken  in 
his  fact.  In  the  first  place,  though  I  had  seen  many  foot 
prints  near  the  hut,  and  along  the  low  land  on  which  the 
Indian  made  his  circuit,  I  could  see  none  where  we  then 
were.  I  mentioned  this  to  the  Indian,  and  desired  him  tc 
show  me,  particularly,  one  of  the  signs  which  had  led  him 
to  his  conclusion. 

"  See,"  said  Susquesus,  stooping  so  low  as  to  place  a 
finger  on  the  dead  leaves  that  ever  make  a  sort  of  carpet  to 
the  forest,  "  here  been  moccasin — that  heel ;  this  toe." 

Aided,  in  this  manner,  I  could  discover  a  faint  foot-print, 
which  might,  by  aid  of  the  imagination,  be  thus  read ;  though 
the  very  slight  impression  that  was  to  be  traced,  might 
almost  as  well  be  supposed  anything  else,  as  it  seemed  to 
me. 

"  I  see  what  you  mean,  Susquesus  ;  and,  I  allow,  it  may 
be  a  footprint,"  I  answered ;  "  but  then  it  may  also  have 
been  left  by  anything  else,  which  has  touched  the  ground 
just  at  that  spot.  It  may  have  been  made  by  a  falling 
branch  of  a  tree." 

"  Where  branch  ?"  asked  the  Indian,  quick  as  lightning. 

"  Sure  enough ;  that  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you.  But  I 
cannot  suppose  that  a  Huron  foot-print,  without  more  evidence 
than  you  now  give." 

"  What  you  call  that  ? — this— that— t'other  ?"  added  the 
Indian,  stepping  quickly  back,  and  pointing  to  four  other 
similar,  but  very  faint  impressions  on  the  leaves ;  "  no  see 
him,  eh? — Just  leg  apart,  too!" 

This  was  true  enough ;  and  now  my  attention  was  thug 
directed,  and  my  senses  were  thus  aided,  I  confess  I  did  dis 
cover  certain  proofs  of  footsteps,  that  would,  otherwise,  have 
baffled  my  most  serious  search. 

"  I  can  see  what  you  mean,  Susquesus,"  I  said,  "  and  will 
allow  that  this  line  of  impressions,  or  marks,  does  make 
them  look  more  like  footsteps.  At  any  rate,  most  of  our 
party  wear  moccasins  as  well  as  the  red-men,  and  how  do 


8ATANSTOE.  373 

you  know  that  some  of  the  surveyors  have  not  passed  thia 
way  ?" 

"  Surveyor  no  make  such  mark.     Toe  turn  in." 

This  was  true,  too.  But  it  did  not  follow  that  a  foot-print 
was  a  Huron's,  merely  because  it  was  Indian.  Then,  where 
were  the  enemy's  warriors  to  come  from,  in  so  short  a  time 
as  had  intervened  between  the  late  battle  and  the  present 
moment?  There  was  little  question  all  the  forces  of  the 
French,  pale-face  and  red-man,  had  been  collected  at  Ticon- 
deroga  to  meet  the  English  ;  and  the  distance  was  so  great 
as  almost  to  render  it  impossible  for  a  party  to  reach  this 
spot  so  soon,  coming  from  the  vicinity  of  the  fortress  after 
the  occurrence  of  the  late  events.  Did  not  the  lake  inter 
pose  an  obstacle,  I  might  have  inferred  that  parties  of  skir 
mishers  would  be  thrown  on  the  flanks  of  the  advancing 
army,  thus  bringing  foes  within  a  lessened  distance  of  us ; 
but,  there  was  the  lake,  affording  a  safe  approach  for  more 
than  thirty  miles,  and  rendering  the  employment  of  any 
such  skirmishers  useless.  All  this  occurred  to  me  at  the 
moment,  and  I  mentioned  it  to  my  companion  as  an  argu 
ment  against  his  own  supposition. 

"  No  true,"  answered  Susquesus,  shaking  his  head.  •*  That 
trail — he  Huron  trail,  too.  Don't  know  red-man  to  say  so." 

"  But  red-men  are  human  as  well  as  pale-faces.  It  must 
be  seventy  miles  from  this  spot  to  the  foot  of  Lake  George, 
and  your  conjecture  would  make  it  necessary  that  a  party 
should  have  travelled  that  distance  in  less  than  twenty-four 
hours,  and  be  here  some  time  before  us." 

"We  no  travel  him,  eh?" 

"  I  grant  you  that,  Trackless ;  but  we  came  a  long  bit  of 
the  road  in  a  canoe,  each  and  all  of  us  sleeping,  and  resting 
ourselves,  in  turns.  These  Hurons  must  have  come  the 
whole  distance  by  land." 

"  No  so.  Huron  paddle  canoe  well  as  Onondago.  Lake 
there — canoe  plenty.  Why  not  come  ?" 

"  Do  you  suppose,  Trackless,  that  any  of  the  French 
Indians  would  venture  on  the  lake  while  it  was  covered  with 
our  boats,  as  was  the  case  last  night  ?" 

"  What  *  our  boat'  good  for,  eh  ?     Carry  wounded  war- 
rior — carry  runaway  warrior — what  he  care  ?    T'ink  Huron 
32 


374  8ATANSTOB. 

'fraid  of  boat  ?     Boat  got  eyo,  eh  ?     Boat  see ;  boat  hear ; 
boat  shoot,  eh  ?" 

"  Perhaps  not  {  but  those  who  were  in  the  boats  can  dc 
all  this,  and  would  be  apt,  at  least,  to  speak  to  a  strange 
canoe." 

"  Boat  speak  my  canoe,  eh  ?  Onondago  canoe,  strange 
canoe,  too." 

All  this  was  clear  enough,  when  I  began  to  reflect  on  it. 
It  was  certainly  possible  for  a  canoe  with  two  or  three 
paddies,  to  go  the  whole  length  of  the  lake  in  much  less 
time  than  we  had  employed  in  going  two-thirds  of  the  dis 
tance  ;  and  a  party  landing  in  the  vicinity  of  William-Henry, 
could  certainly  have  reached  the  spot  where  we  then  were, 
several  hours  sooner  than  we  had  reached  it  ourselves.  Still, 
there  existed  all  the  other  improbabilities  on  my  side  of  the 
question.  It  was  improbable  that  a  party  should  have  pro 
ceeded  in  precisely  this  manner ;  it  was  still  more  impro 
bable  that  such  a  party,  coming  on  a  war-path,  from  a  dis 
tant  part  of  the  country,  should  know  exactly  where  to  find 
our  hut.  After  a  moment's  pause,  and  while  we  both  slowly 
proceeded  to  join  our  companion,  I  suggested  these  objections 
to  the  Onondago. 

"  Don't  know  Injin,"  answered  the  other,  betraying  more 
earnestness  of  manner  than  was  usual  with  him,  when  he 
condescended  to  discuss  any  of  the  usages  of  the  tribes,  with 
a  pale-face,  "  He  fight  first ;  then  he  want  scalp.  Ever 
see  dead  horse  in  wood — well,  no  crow  there,  eh?  Plenty 
crow,  isn't  he?  Just  so,  Injin.  Wounded  soldier  carry  off, 
and  Injin  watch  in  wood,  behind  army,  to  get  scalp.  Scalp 
good,  after  battle.  Want  him,  very  much.  Wood  full  ot 
Huron,  along  path  to  Albany.  Yengeese  down  in  heart  ; 
Huron  up.  Scalp  so  good,  t'ink  of  nuttin'  else." 

By  this  time  we  had  reached  the  hut,  where  I  found  Guert 
and  Dirck  already  at  their  supper.  I  will  own  that  my 
appetite  was  not  as  good  as  it  might  have  been,  but  for  the 
Onondago's  conjectures  and  discoveries;  though  I  took  a 
seat,  and  began  to  eat  with  my  friends.  While  at  the  meal, 
I  communicated  to  my  companions  all  that  had  passed,  par 
ticularlry  asking  of  Guert,  who  had  a  respectable  knowledge 
of  the  bush,  what  he  thought  of  the  probabilities  of  the  case. 
"  If  hostile  red-skins  have  really  been  here,  lately,"  the 


SATANSTOE.  375 

Albanian  answered,  "  they  have  been  thoroughly  cunning 
devils ;  for  not  an  article  in  or  about  the  hut  has  been  dis 
turbed.  I  had  an  eye  to  that  myself,  the  moment  we  ar 
rived  ;  for  I  have  thought  it  far  from  unlikely  that  the  Hu- 
rons  would  be  out,  on  the  road  between  William-Henry 
and  the  settlements,  trying  to  get  scalps  from  the  parties 
that  would  be  likely  to  be  sent  to  the  rear  with  wounded 
officers." 

"  In  which  case  our  friend  Bulstrode  might  be  in  dan 
ger?" 

*  He  must  take  his  chance,  like  all  of  us.  But,  he  will 
probably  be  carried  to  Ravensnest,  as  the  nearest  nest  for 
him  to  nestle  in.  I  don't  half  like  this  trail,  however,  Corny  ; 
it  is  seldom  a  red-skin  of  the  Onondago's  character,  makes 
a  mistake  in  such  a  matter !" 

"  It  is  too  late,  now,  to  do  anything  to-night,"  Dirck  ob 
served.  "  Besides,  I  don't  think  any  great  calamity  is  likely 
to  befall  any  of  us,  or  Doortje  would  have  dropped  some 
hint  about  it.  These  fortune-tellers  seldom  let  anything 
serious  pass  without  a  notice  of  some  sort  or  other.  You 
see,  Corny,  we  went  through  all  this  business  at  Ty,  with 
out  a  scratch,  which  is  so  much  in  favour  of  the  old  wo 
man's  being  right." 

Poor  Dirck  !  that  prediction  had  made  a  deep  impression 
on  his  character,  and  on  his  future  life.  A  man's  faith  must 
be  strong,  to  fancy  that  a  negative  of  this  nature  could  carry 
with  it  any  of  the  force  of  a  positive,  affirmative  prediction. 
Nevertheless,  Dirck  had  spoken  the  truth,  in  one  respect. 
It  was  too  late  to  do  anything  that  night,  and  it  only  re 
mained  to  prepare  to  take  our  rest  as  securely  as  possible. 

We  consulted  on  the  subject,  calling  on  the  Indian  to  aid 
us.  After  talking  the  matter  over,  it  was  determined  to  re 
main  where  we  were,  securing  the  door,  and  bringing  every 
body  within  the  building ;  for  the  negroes  and  the  Indians 
had  been  much  in  the  habit  of  sleeping  about,  under  brush 
covers  that  they  had  erected  for  themselves.  It  was  thought 
that,  having  once  visited  the  hut,  and  finding  it  empty,  the 
enemy,  if  enemy  there  were,  would  not  be  very  likely  to 
return  to  it  immediately,  and  that  we  might  consider  our 
selves  as  comparatively  safe,  from  that  circumstance  alone. 
Then,  there  were  all  the  chances  that  the  trail  might  have 


376  SATANSTOB. 

been  left  by  friendly,  instead  of  hostile  Indians,  although 
Susquesus  shook  his  head  in  the  negative,  whenever  this 
was  mentioned.  At  all  events,  we  had  but  a  choice  of  three 
expedients — to  abandon  the  Patent,  and  seek  safety  in  flight ; 
to  '  'camp  out ;'  or  to  shut  ourselves  up  in  our  fortress.  Of 
the  first,  no  one  thought  for  a  moment ;  and  of  the  two 
others,  we  decided  on  the  last,  as  far  the  most  comfortable, 
and,  on  the  whole,  as  the  safest. 

An  hour  after  we  had  come  to  this  determination,  I  ques 
tion  if  either  of  the  five  knew  anything  about  it.  I  never 
slept  more  profoundly  in  my  life,  and  my  companions  sub 
sequently  gave  the  same  account  of  their  several  conditions. 
Fatigue,  and  youth,  and  health,  gave  us  all  refreshing  sleep ; 
and,  as  we  lay  down  at  nine,  two  o'clock  came  after  so 
much  time  totally  lost  in  the  way  of  consciousness.  I  say 
two  o'clock ;  for  my  watch  told  me  that  was  just  the  hour, 
when  the  Indian  awoke  me,  by  shaking  my  shoulder.  One 
gets  the  habits  of  watchfulness  in  the  woods,  and  I  was  on 
my  feet  in  an  instant. 

Dark  as  it  was,  for  it  was  deep  night,  I  could  distinguish 
that  Susquesus  was  alone  stirring,  and  that  he  had  unbarred 
the  door  of  our  cabin.  Indeed,  he  passed  through  that  open 
space,  into  the  air  of  the  forest,  the  moment  he  perceived  I 
was  conscious  of  what  I  was  about.  Without  pausing  to 
reflect,  I  followed,  and  soon  stood  at  his  side,  some  fifteen 
or  twenty  feet  from  the  hut. 

"  This  good  place  to  hear,"  said  the  Indian,  in  a  low  sup 
pressed  tone.  "  Now,  open  ear." 

What  a  scene  was  that,  which  now  presented  itself  to  my 
senses  !  I  can  see  it,  at  this  distance  of  time,  after  years  of 
peaceful  happiness,  and  years  of  toil  and  adventure.  The 
morning,  or  it  might  be  better  to  say  the  night,  was  not  very 
dark  in  itself;  but  the  gloom  of  the  woods  being  added  to 
the  obscurity  of  the  hour,  it  lent  an  intensity  of  blackness 
to  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  that  gave  to  each  a  funereal  and 
solemn  aspect.  It  was  impossible  to  see  for  any  distance, 
and  the  objects  that  were  visible  were  only  those  that  were 
nearest  at  hand.  Notwithstanding,  one  might  imagine  the 
canopied  space  beneath  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  fancy  it, 
in  the  majesty  of  its  gloomy  vastness.  Of  sounds  there  were 
literally  none,  when  the  Indian  first  bade  me  listen.  The 


BATANSTOB.  377 

stillness  was  so  profound,  that  I  thought  I  heard  the  sighing 
of  the  night  air  among  the  upper  branches  of  the  loftier 
trees.  This  might  have  been  mere  imagination  ;  neverthe 
less,  all  above  the  summits  of  the  giant  oaks,  maples  and 
pines,  formed  a  sort  of  upper  world  as  regarded  us  ;  a  world 
with  which  we  had  little  communication,  during  our  sojourn 
in  the  woods  below.  The  raven,  and  the  eagle,  and  the 
hawk,  sailed  in  that  region,  above  the  clouds  of  leaves  be 
neath  them,  and  occasionally  stooped,  perhaps,  to  strike 
their  quarry ;  but,  to  all  else,  it  was  inaccessible,  and  to  a 
degree  invisible. 

But,  my  present  concern  is  with  the  world  I  was  in ;  and, 
what  a  world  it  was !  Solemn,  silent,  dark,  vast  and  myste 
rious.  I  listened  in  vain,  to  catch  the  footstep  of  some  busy 
squirrel,  for  the  forest  was  alive  with  the  smaller  animals, 
by  night  quite  as  much  as  by  day ;  but  everything,  at  that 
moment,  seemed  stilled  to  the  silence  of  death. 

"  I  can  hear  nothing,  Trackless,"  I  whispered  —  "  Why 
are  you  out  here  ?" 

"  You  hear,  soon — wake  me  up,  and  I  hear  twice.  Soon 
come  ag'in." 

It  did  soon  come  again.  It  was  a  human  cry,  escaping 
from  human  lips  in  their  agony  !  I  heard  it  once  only  ;  but, 
should  I  live  to  be  a  hundred,  it  would  not  be  forgotten.  I 
often  hear  it  in  my  sleep,  and  twenty  times  have  I  awoke 
since,  fancying  that  agonizing  call  was  in  my  ears.  It  was 
long,  loud,  piercing,  and  the  word  '  help'  was  as  distinct  as 
tongue  could  make  it. 

"  Great  God  !"  I  exclaimed — "  some  one  is  set  upon,  and 
calls  for  aid  in  his  extremity.  Let  us  arouse  our  friends, 
and  go  to  his  assistance.  I  cannot  remain  here,  Susquesus, 
with  such  a  cry  in  my  ears." 

"  Best  go,  t'ink  too,"  answered  the  Onondago.  "  No  need 
call,  though  ;  two  better  than  four.  Stop  minute." 

I  did  remain  stationary  that  brief  space,  listening  with 
agonized  uncertainty,  while  the  Indian  entered  the  hut,  and 
returned,  bringing  out  his  rifle  and  my  own.  Arming  our 
selves,  and  shutting  the  door  of  the  cabin,  to  exclude  the 
night-air,  at  least,  Susquesus  *ed  off,  with  his  noiseless  step, 
in  a  south-west  direction,  or  that  in  which  we  had  heard 
the  sound. 

32* 


378  SATANSTOE. 

Our  march  was  too  swift  and  earnest  tc  admit  of  dis» 
course.  The  Onondago  had  admonished  me  to  make  as 
little  noise  as  possible;  and,  between  the  anxiety  I  felt,  and 
the  care  taken  to  comply,  there  was,  indeed,  but  little  op. 
portunity  for  conversing.  My  feelings  were  wrought  up  to 
a  high  pitch  ;  but  my  confidence  in  my  companion  being 
great,  I  followed  in  his  footsteps,  as  diligently  as  my  skill 
would  allow.  Susquesus  rather  trod  on  air  than  walked ; 
yet  I  kept  close  at  his  heels,  until  we  had  gone,  as  I  should 
think,  fully  half  a  mile  in  the  direction  from  which  that 
awful  cry  had  come.  Here  Susquesus  halted,  saying  to  me, 
in  a  low  voice — 

"  No  far  from  here — best  stop." 

I  submitted,  in  all  things,  to  the  directions  of  my  Indian 
guide.  The  latter  had  selected  the  dark  shadows  of  two  or 
three  young  pines  for  our  cover,  where,  by  getting  within 
their  low  branches,  we  were  completely  concealed  from  any 
eye  that  was  distant  from  us  eight  or  ten  feet.  No  sooner 
were  we  thus  posted,  than  the  Onondago  pointed  to  the  trunk 
of  a  fallen  tree,  and  we  took  our  seats  silently  on  it.  I  ob 
served  that  my  companion  kept  his  thumb  on  the  cock  of 
his  rifle,  while  his  fore-finger  was  passed  around  the  trigger. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  I  observed  the  same 
precaution. 

"  This  good,"  said  Susquesus,  in  a  voice  so  low  and  soft 
that  it  could  not  attract  more  attention  than  a  whisper ; 
"  this  very  good — hear  him  ag'in,  soon  ;  then  know." 

A  stifled  groan  was  heard,  and  that  almost  as  soon  as  my 
companion  ceased  to  speak.  I  felt  my  blood  curdle  at  these 
frightful  evidences  of  human  suffering;  and  an  impulse  of 
humanity  caused  me  to  move,  as  if  about  to  rise.  The  hand 
of  Trackless  checked  the  imprudence. 

"  No  good,"  he  said,  sternly.  "  Sit  still.  Warrior  know 
how  to  sit  still." 

"  But,  Heavenly  Providence !  There  is  some  one  ii 
agony,  quite  near  us,  man.  Did  you  not  hear  a  groan 
Trackless?" 

"  To  be  sure,  hear  him.  —  What  of  that?  Pain  makr 
groan  come,  alway,  from  pale-face." 

"  You  think,  then,  it  is  a  white-man  who  suffers  ?  if  so,  it 


SATANSTOE.  379 

must  be  one  of  our  party,  as  there  is  no  one  else  near  us. 
If  I  hear  it  again,  I  must  go  to  his  relief,  Onondago." 

"  Why  you  behave  like  squaw?  What  of  little  groan t 
Sartain,  he  pale-face  ;  Injin  never  groan  on  war-path.  Why 
he  groan,  you  t'ink  ?  Cause  Huron  meet  him.  That  reason 
he  groan.  You  groan,  too,  no  sit  still.  Injin  know  time  to 
shoot — know  time  not  to  shoot." 

I  had  every  disposition  to  call  aloud,  to  inquire  who 
needed  succour;  yet  the  admonitions  of  my  companion, 
aided  as  they  were  by  the  gloomy  mysteries  of  that  vast 
forest,  in  the  hour  of  deepest  night,  enabled  me  to  command 
the  impulse.  Three  times,  notwithstanding,  was  that  groan 
repeated ;  and,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  each  time  more  and 
more  faintly.  I  thought,  too,  when  all  was  still  in  the 
forest — when  we  sat  ourselves  in  breathless  expectation  of 
what  might  next  reach  our  ears — attentive  to  each  sighing 
of  the  night-air,  and  distrustful  even  of  the  rustling  leaf — 
that  the  last  groan  of  alt,  though  certainly  the  faintest  of 
any  we  had  heard,  was  much  the  nearest.  Once,  indeed,  I 
heard,  or  fancied  I  heard,  the  word  '  water,'  murmured  in  a 
low,  smothered  tone,  almost  in  my  ear.  I  thought,  too,  I 
knew  the  voice ;  that  it  was  familiar  to  me ;  though  I  could 
not  decide,  in  the  state  of  my  feelings,  exactly  to  whom  it 
belonged. 

In  this  manner  we  passed  what,  to  me,  were  two  of  the 
most  painful  hours  of  my  life,  waiting  the  slow  return  of 
light.  My  own  impatience  was  nearly  ungovernable; 
though  the  Indian  sat,  the  whole  of  that  time,  seemingly  as 
insensible  as  the  log  which  formed  his  seat,  and  almost  as 
motionless.  At  length  this  intensely  anxious,  and  even 
physically  painful  watch,  drew  near  its  end.  Signs  of  day 
gleamed  through  the  canopy  of  leaves,  and  the  rays  of  dull 
light  appeared  to  struggle  downward,  rendering  objects 
dimly  discernible. 

It  was  not  long  ere  we  could  ascertain  that  we  had  sc 
completely  covered  ourselves,  as  to  be  in  a  position  where 
the  branches  of  the  pines  completely  shut  out  the  view  of 
objects  beyond.  This  was  favourable  to  reconnoitring, 
however,  previously  to  quitting  our  concealment,  and  enabled 
us  to  have  some  care  of  ourselves  while  attending  to  tha 
duties  of  humanity. 


380  SATANSTOE. 

Susquesus  used  the  greatest  caution  in  looking  around 
before  he  left  the  cover.  I  was  close  at  his  side,  peeping 
through  such  openings  as  offered ;  for  my  curiosity  was  so 
intense,  that  I  almost  forgot  the  causes  for  apprhension.  It 
was  not  long  before  I  heard  the  familiar  Indian  interjection, 
"  hugh  !"  from  my  companion  ;  a  proof  that  something  had 
caught  his  eye,  of  a  more  than  ordinarily  exciting  character. 
He  pointed  in  the  way  I  was  to  look,  and  there,  indeed,  I 
beheld  one  of  those  frightful  instances  of  barbarous  cruelty, 
that  the  usages  of  savage  warfare  have  sanctioned,  as  far 
back  as  our  histories  extend,  among  the  forest  warriors  of 
this  continent.  The  tops  of  two  saplings  had  been  brought 
down  near  each  other,  by  main  force,  the  victim's  hands 
attached  firmly  to  upper  branches  of  each,  and  the  trees  per 
mitted  to  fly  back  to  their  natural  positions, or  as  near  them 
as  the  revolting  means  of  junction  would  allow.  I  could 
scarce  believe  my  senses,  when  my  sight  first  revealed  the 
truth.  But  there  hung  the  victim1,  suspended  by  his  arms, 
at  an  elevation  of  at  least  ten  or  fifteen  feet  from  the  earth. 
I  confess  I  sincerely  hoped  he  was  dead,  and  the  motionless 
attitude  of  the  body  gave  me  reason  to  think  it  might  be  so. 
Still,  the  cries  for  "  help,"  uttered  wildly,  hopelessly,  in  the 
midst  of  a  vast  and  vacant  forest,  the  groans  extorted  by 
suffering,  must  have  been  his.  He  had  probably  been  thus 
suspended  and  abandoned,  while  alive ! 

Even  the  Onondago  could  not  restrain  me,  after  I  fully 
saw  and  understood  the  nature  of  the  cruelty  which  had 
been  exercised  on  the  miserable  victim  who  was  thus  sus 
pended  directly  before  my  eyes,  and  I  broke  out  of  the  cover, 
ready,  I  am  willing  to  confess,  to  pull  trigger  on  the  first 
hostile  red-man  I  saw.  Fortunately  for  myself,  most  pro 
bably,  the  place  had  long  been  deserted.  As  the  back  of 
the  sufferer  was  towards  me,  I  could  not  tell  who  he  was ; 
but  his  dress  was  coarse,  and  of  the  description  that  belongs 
to  the  lowest  class.  Blood  had  flowed  freely  from  his  head, 
and  I  made  no  doubt  he  had  been  scalped ;  though  the 
height  at  which  he  hung,  and  the  manner  in  which  his  head 
had  fallen  forward  upon  his  breast,  prevented  me  from  as 
certaining  the  fact  at  once,  by  the  aid  of  sight.  Thus  much 
did  I  perceive,  however,  ere  the  Indian  joined  me. 


SATANSTOE.  381 

"  See !"  said  Susquesus,  whose  quick  eye  never  let  any 
thing  escape  it  long,  "  told  you  so ;  Huron  been  here." 

As  this  was  said,  the  Indian  pointed  significantly  at  the 
naked  skin,  which  was  visible  between  the  heavy,  coarse 
shoes  of  the  victim,  and  the  trowsers  he  wore,  when  I  dis 
covered  it  was  black.  Moving  quickly  in  front,  so  as  to  get 
a  view  of  the  face,  I  recognised  the  distorted  features  of 
Petrus,  or  Pete,  Guert  Ten  Eyck's  negro.  This  man  had 
been  left  with  the  surveyors,  it  will  be  remembered,  and  he 
had  either  fallen  into  the  hands  of  his  captors,  while  at  the 
hut,  engaged  in  his  ordinary  duties,  or  he  had  been  met  in 
the  forest  while  going  to,  or  coming  from  those  he  served, 
and  had  thus  been  treated.  We  never  ascertained  the  facts, 
which  remain  in  doubt  to  this  hour. 

««  Give  me  your  tomahawk,  Trackless,"  I  cried,  as  soon 
as  horror  would  permit  me  to  speak,  "  that  I  may  cut  down 
this  sapling,  and  liberate  the  unfortunate  creature !" 

"  No  good — better  so,"  answered  the  Indian.  "  Bear- 
wolf  can't  get  him,  now.  Let  black-skin  hang — good  as 
bury  —  no  safe  stay  here  long.  Look  round  and  count 
Huron,  then  go." 

"Look  round  and  count  the  Hurons,"  I  thought  to  my 
self;  "  and  in  what  manner  is  this  to  be  done  ?"  By  this 
time,  however,  it  was  sufficiently  light  to  see  foot-prints,  if 
any  there  were,  and  the  Onondago  set  about  examining 
such  traces  of  what  had  passed  at  that  terrible  spot,  as 
might  be  intelligible  to  one  of  his  experience. 

At  the  foot  of  a  huge  oak,  that  grew  a  few  yards  from 
the  fatal  saplings,  we  found  the  two  wooden,  covered  pails, 
in  which  we  knew  Pete  had  been  accustomed  to  carry  food 
to  Mr.  Traverse  and  the  chain-bearers.  They  were  empty, 
but  whether  the  provisions  they  unquestionably  had  con 
tained  fell  to  the  share  of  those  for  whom  they  were  intended, 
or  to  that  of  the  captors,  we  never  learned.  No  traces  of 
bones,  potato-skins,  or  other  fragments  were  discovered  j 
and,  if  the  Hurons  had  seized  the  provisions,  they  doubtless 
transferred  them  to  their  own  repositories,  without  stopping 
to  eat.  Susquesus  detected  proof  that  the  victim  had  been 
seated  at  the  foot  of  the  oak,  and  that  he  had  been  seized  at 
that  spot.  There  were  the  marks  of  many  feet  there,  and 
some  proofs  of  a  slight  scuffle.  Blood,  too,  was  to  be  traced 


332  SATAN  STOE. 

on  the  leaves,  from  the  foot  of  the  oak,  to  the  place  where 
poor  Pete  was  suspended  ;  a  proof  that  he  had  been  hurt, 
previously  to  being  abandoned  to  his  cruel  fate. 

But  the  point  of  most  interest  with  Trackless  was  to  ascer 
tain  the  number  of  our  foes.  This  might  be  done,  in  some 
measure,  according  to  his  view  of  the  matter,  by  means  of 
the  foot-prints.  There  was  no  want  of  such  signs,  the  leaves 
being  much  disturbed  in  places,  though  after  a  short  but 
anxious  search,  my  companion  thought  it  wisest  to  repair  to 
the  hut,  lest  those  it  contained  might  be  surprised  in  their 
sleep.  He  gave  me  to  understand  that  the  enemy  did  not 
appear  to  be  numerous  at  that  spot,  three  or  four  at  most, 
though  it  was  quite  possible,  nay  highly  probable,  that  they 
had  separated,  and  that  their  whole  force  was  not  present  at 
this  miserable  scene. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  we  came  in  sight  of  the  hut 
again,  and  I  perceived  Jaap  was  up  and  busy  with  his  pots 
and  kettles  near  the  spring.  No  one  else  was  visible,  and 
we  inferred  that  Guert  and  Dirck  were  still  on  their  pallets. 
We  took  a  long  and  distrustful  survey  of  the  forest  around 
the  cabin,  from  the  height  where  we  stood,  ere  we  ventured 
to  approach  it  any  nearer.  Discovering  no  signs  of  danger, 
and  the  forest  being  quite  clear  of  underbrush  or  cover  of 
any  sort,  large  trees  excepted,  for  some  distance  from  the 
hut,  we  then  advanced  without  apprehension.  This  open 
character  of  the  .woods  near  our  dwelling  was  felt  to  be  a 
very  favourable  circumstance,  rendering  it  impossible  for  an 
enemy  to  get  very  near  us  by  day-light,  without  being  seen. 
It  was  owing  to  the  fact  that  we  had  used  so  much  of  the 
smaller  timber,  in  our  own  operations,  while  the  negroes 
had  burned  most  of  the  underbrush  for  fuel. 

Sure  enough,  I  found  my  two  friends  fast  asleep,  and 
certainly  much  exposed.  When  aroused  and  told  all  that 
had  occurred  to  me  and  the  Indian,  their  surprise  was  great, 
nor  was  their  horror  less.  Jaap,  who,  missing  us  on  rising, 
supposed  we  had  gone  in  pursuit  of  game,  had  followed  us 
into  the  hut,  and  heard  my  communications.  His  indigna 
tion  was  great,  at  the  idea  of  one  of  his  own  colour's  being 
thus  treated,  and  I  heard  him  vowing  vengeance  between 
his  set  teeth,  in  terms  that  were  by  no  means  measured. 

"  By  St.  Nicholas !"   exclaimed   Guert,  who  had  now 


SATANSTOE.  383 

finished  dressing,  and  who  accompanied  me  out  into  the 
open  air,  "  my  poor  fellow  shall  be  revenged,  if  the  rifle  will 
do  it !  Scalped,  too,  do  you  say,  Corny  ?" 

"  As  far  as  we  could  ascertain,  suspended  as  he  was  from 
the  tree.  But,  scalped  he  must  be,  as  an  Indian  never  per 
mits  a  dead  captive  to  escape  this  mutilation." 

"And  you  have  been  out  in  the  forest  three  hours,  you 
tell  me,  Corny  ?— You  and  Trackless  ?" 

"  About  that  time,  I  should  judge.  The  heart  must  have 
been  of  stone,  that  could  resist  those  cries !" 

"  I  do  not  blame  you,  Littlepage,  though  it  would  have 
been  kinder,  and  wiser,  had  you  taken  your  friends  with 
you.  We  must  stick  together,  in  future,  let  what  may 
happen.  Poor  Petrus !  I  wonder  Doortje  should  have 
hinted  nothing  of  that  nigger's  fate  !" 

We  then  held  a  long  consultation  on  the  subject  of  our 
mode  of  proceeding,  next.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on 
this  conference,  as  its  conclusions  will  be  seen  in  the  events 
of  the  narrative ;  but  it  was  brought  to  a  close  by  a  very 
sudden  interruption,  and  that  was  the  sound  of  an  axe  in  the 
forest.  The  blows  came  in  the  direction  of  the  scene  of 
Pete's  murder,  and  we  had  collected  our  rifles,  and  were 
preparing  to  move  towards  the  suspected  point,  when  we 
saw  Jaap  staggering  along,  coming  to  the  hut,  beneath  the 
load  of  his  friend's  body.  The  fellow  had  stolen  away,  un 
seen,  on  this  pious  duty,  and  had  executed  it  with  success. 
In  a  minute  or  two  he  reached  the  spring,  and  began  to 
wash  away  the  revolting  remains  of  the  massacre  from  the 
head  of  the  Huron's  victim. 

We  now  ascertained  that  poor  Pete  had  been  badly  cut 
by  knives,  as  well  as  scalped,  and  suspended  in  the  manner 
related.  Both  arms  appeared  to  be  dislocated,  and  the  only 
relief  to  our  feelings,  was  in  the  hope  that  an  attempt  to  in 
flict  so  much  suffering  must  have  soon  defeated  itself.  Guert, 
in  particular,  expressed  his  hope  that  such  was  the  case, 
though  the  awful  sounds  of  the  past  night  were  still  too  fresh 
in  my  ears  to  enable  me  to  believe  all  I  could  wish  on  that 
subject  A  grave  was  dug,  and  we  buried  the  body  at  once, 
rolling  a  large  log  or  two  on  the  spot,  in  order  to  prevent 
wild  beasts  from  disinterring  it.  Jaap  worked  hard  in  the 
performance  of  these  rites,  and  Guert  Ten  Eyck  actually 


384  SATANSTOE. 

repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Creed  over  the  grave, 
when  the  body  was  placed  in  it,  with  a  fervour  and  earnest 
ness  that  a  little  surprised  me. 

"  He  was  but  a  nigger,  Corny,  it  is  true,"  said  the  Alba 
nian,  a  little  apologetically  perhaps,  after  all  was  over,  "  but 
he  was  a  very  goot  nigger,  in  the  first  place ;  then,  he  had 
a  soul,  as  well  as  a  white  man — Pete  had  his  merits,  as  well 
as  a  Tominie,  and  I  trust  they  will  not  be  forgotten  in  the 
last  great  account.  He  was  an  excellent  cook,  as  you  must 
have  seen,  and  I  never  knew  a  nigger  that  had  more  of  the 
dog-like  fidelity  to  his  master.  The  fellow  never  got  into 
a  frolic  without  coming  honestly  to  ask  leave  ,  though,  to  be 
sure,  I  was  not  a  hard  master,  in  these  particulars,  on  rea 
sonable  occasions." 

We  next  ate  our  breakfasts,  with  as  much  appetite  as  we 
could.  Shouldering  our  packs,  and  placing  all  around,  and 
in  the  hut,  as  much  as  possible  in  the  condition  in  which  we 
had  found  the  place,  we  then  commenced  our  march,  Sus- 
quesus  leading,  as  usual. 

We  went  in  quest  of  the  surveyors,  who  were  supposed 
to  be  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  Patent,  employed  as 
usual,  and  ignorant  of  all  that  had  passed.  At  first,  we 
had  thought  of  discharging  our  rifles,  as  signals  to  bring 
them  in ;  but  these  signals  might  apprize  our  enemies,  as 
well  as  our  friends,  of  our  presence,  and  the  distance  was 
too  great,  moreover,  to  render  it  probable  the  reports  could 
be  heard  by  those  for  whom  alone  they  would  be  intended. 

The  route  we  took  was  determined  by  our  general  know 
ledge  of  the  quarter  of  the  Patent  in  which  the  surveyors 
ought  now  to  be,  as  well  as  by  the  direction  in  which  the 
body  of  Pete  had  been  found.  The  poor  fellow  was  cer 
tainly  either  going  to,  or  coming  from  the  party,  and  being 
in  constant  communication  with  them,  he  doubtless  knew 
where  they  were  at  work.  Then  the  different  trails  of 
the  surveyors  were  easily  enough  found  by  Trackless,  and 
he  told  us  that  the  most  recent  led  off  in  the  direction  I  have 
named.  Towards  the  south-east,  therefore,  we  held  our 
way,  marching,  as  before,  in  Indian  file,1  the  Onondago 
leading,  and  the  negro  bringing  up  the  rear. 


SATANSTOE.  385 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

«Tis  too  horrible! 

The  weariest  and  most  loathed  worldly  life 
That  age,  ache,  penury,  and  imprisonment 
Can  lay  on  nature,  is  a  paradise, 
To  what  we  fear  of  death." 

Measure  for  Measure. 

WE  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  point  of  the  Patent  in 
which  the  surveyors  had  been  at  work,  after  which  we  could 
have  but  little  difficulty  in  finding  their  present  actual  posi 
tion.  The  marked  trees  were  guides  that  told  the  whole 
story  of  their  labours.  For  an  hour  and  a  half,  however, 
we  moved  rapidly  forward,  Susquesus  on  the  lead,  silent, 
earnest,  watchful,  and  I  fear  I  must  add,  revengeful.  Not 
a  syllable  had  been  uttered  during  the  whole  of  that  time, 
though  our  senses  were  keenly  on  the  alert ;  and  we  avoided 
everything  like  a  cover  that  might  conceal  an  ambush. 
Suddenly  the  Indian  halted;  at  the  next  instant  he  was 
behind  a  tree.  Each  of  us  imitated  him,  quick  as  thought, 
for  this  was  our  previous  training  in  the  event  of  encounter 
ing  an  enemy ;  and  we  all  well  knew  the  importance  of  a 
cover  in  forest  warfare.  Still,  no  foe  could  be  seen.  After 
examining  around  us  in  every  direction,  for  a  minute  or  two, 
and  finding  the  woods  vacant  and  silent  as  ever,  Guert  and 
I  quitted  our  own  trees,  and  joined  the  Trackless,  at  the 
foot  of  his  own  huge  pine. 

"  Why  this,  Susquesus  ?"  demanded  the  Albanian,  sharply ; 
for  he  began  to  suspect  a  little  acting,  got  up  to  magnify  the 
Indian's  usefulness  ;  "  here  is  neither  pale-face  nor  red-skin. 
Have  done  with  this  folly,  and  let  us  go  forward." 

"  No  good  —  warrior  been  here ;  p'rhaps  gone,  p'rhaps 
no  ;  soon  see.  Open  eye,  and  look." 

As  a  gesture  accompanied  this  speech,  we  did  look  again, 
and  this  time  in  the  right  direction.  At  the  distance  of  a 
hundred  yards  from  us  was  a  chestnut,  that  might  be  seen 
from  its  roots  to  its  branches.  On  the  ground,  partly  con 
cealed  by  the  tree,  and  partly  exposed,  was  the  leg  of  a  man, 
33 


386  SATANSTOE. 

placed  as  the  limb  would  be  apt  to  lie,  on  the  supposition 
that  its  owner  lay  on  his  back,  asleep.  It  showed  a  moc 
casin,  and  the  usual  legging  of  an  Indian  ;  but  the  thigh, 
and  all  the  rest  of  the  frame,  was  concealed.  The  quick 
eye  of  the  Onondago  had  caught  this  small  object,  even  at 
that  distance,  comprehended  it  at  a  glance,  when  he  instantly 
sought  a  cover,  as  described.  Guert  and  I  had  some  diffi 
culty  at  first,  even  after  it  was  pointed  out  to  us,  in  recog 
nising  this  object ;  but  it  soon  became  distinct  and  intelligible. 

"Is  that  a  red-skin's  leg?"  asked  Guert,  dropping  the 
muzzle  of  his  rifle,  as  if  about  to  try  his  skill  on  it. 

"  Don't  know,"  answered  the  Indian ;  "  got  leggin,  got 
moccasin ;  can't  see  colour.  Look  most  pale-face ;  leg  big." 

What  there  was  to  enable  one,  at  that  distance,  to  distin 
guish  between  the  leg  of  a  white  man  and  the  leg  of  an 
Indian,  at  first  greatly  exceeded  our  means  of  conjecturing; 
but  the  Onondago  explained  it,  when  asked,  in  his  own 
usual,  sententious  manner,  by  saying : 

"  Toe  turn  out — Injin  turn  in — no  like,  at  all.  Pale-face 
big ;  Injin  no  very  big." 

The  first  was  true  enough  in  walking,  and  it  did  seerr. 
probable  that  the  difference  might  exist  in  sleep.  Guert  now 
declared  there  was  no  use  in  hesitating  any  longer;  if  asleep 
he  would  approach  the  chestnut  cautiously,  and  capture  the 
stranger,  if  an  Indian,  before  he  could  rise ;  and  if  a  white 
man,  it  must  be  some  one  belonging  to  our  own  set,  who 
was  taking  a  nap,  probably,  after  a  fatiguing  march.  Sus- 
quesus  must  have  satisfied  himself,  by  this  time,  that  there 
was  no  immediate  danger ;  for  merely  saying,  "  all  go  loge- 
ther,"  he  quitted  the  cover,  and  led  down  towards  the  chestnut 
with  a  rapid  but  noiseless  step.  As  we  moved  in  a  body 
all  five  of  us  reached-the  tree  at  the  same  instant,  where  we 
found  Sam,  one  of  our  own  hunters,  and  whom  we  supposed 
to  be  with  Mr.  Traverse,  stretched  on  his  back,  dead ; 
with  a  wound  in  his  breast  that  had  been  inflicted  by  a  knife. 
He,  too,  had  been  scalped  ! 

The  tooks  we  exchanged,  said  all  that  could  be  said  on 
the  subject  of  the  gravity  of  this  new  discovery.  Susquesus, 
alone,  was  undisturbed ;  I  rather  think  he  expected  what  he 
found.  After  examining  the  body,  he  seemed  satisfied, 
iimply  saving,  "  kill,  last  night," 


SATANSTOE.  387 

That  poor  Sam  had  been  dead  several  hours  was  pretty 
certain,  and  the  circumstance  removed  all  apprehension  of 
any  immediate  danger  from  his  destroyers.  The  ruthless 
warriors  of  the  woods  seldom  remained  long  near  the  spot 
they  had  desolated,  but  passed  on,  like  the  tornado,  or  the 
tempest.  Guert,  who  was  ever  prompt  when  anything  was 
to  be  done,  pointed  to  a  natural  hollow  in  the  earth ;  one  of 
those  cavities  tha.  are  so  Common  in  the  forest,  and  which 
are  usually  attributed  to  the  upturning  of  trees  in  remote 
ages,  and  suggest,  d  that  we  should  use  it  as  a  grave.  The 
body  was  accordingly  laid  in  the  hole,  and  we  covered  it  in 
the  best  manner  we  could  ;  succeeding  in  placing  over  it 
something  like  a  foot  deep  of  light  loam,  together  with  se 
veral  flat  stones-,  rolling  logs  on  all,  as  we  had  done  at  the 
grave  of  Pete.  l'»y  this  time  Guert's  feelings  were  so  tho 
roughly  aroused,  that,  in  addition  to  the  prayer  and  the 
creed,  which  he  again  repeated,  in  a  very  decorous  and 
devout  manner,  ho  concluded  the  whole  ceremony  by  a  brief 
address.  Nor  was  Guert  anything  but  serious  in  what  he 
did,  or  said,  on  Mther  of  these  solemn  occasions ;  his  words, 
like  his  acts,  being  purely  the  impulses  of  a  simple  mind, 
which  possesses  longings  after  devotion  and  scriptural  truths, 
without  knowing  exactly  how  to  express  them ;  and  this, 
moreover,  in  spite  of  the  mere  animal  propensities,  and  gay 
habits  of  his  physical  conformation,  and  constitutional  ten 
dencies. 

"  Deat',  my  fnents,"  said  Guert,  most  seriously,  becoming 
Dutch,  as  usual,  as  he  became  interested  ;  "  Deal'  is  a  sut- 
ten  visiter.  He  comes  like  a  t'ief  in  the  night,  as  you  must 
all  have  often  he'rt  the  Tominie  say ;  and  happy  is  he 
whose  loins  are  girtet,  and  whose  lamp  is  trimmed.  Such, 
I  trust,  is  the  case  with  each  of  you  ;  for,  it  is  not  to  be 
concealet,  that  we  are  likely  to  have  serious  work  before  us. 
Here  have  been  Injins,  beyont  a  question;  and  they  are 
Injins,  too,  that  are  out  on  the  war-path,  in  search  of  Eng 
lish  scalps ;  or,  what  is  of  equal  importance  to  Mr.  Pollock 
and  myself,  Dutch  scalps  in  the  pargain  ;  which  makes  it 
so  much  the  more  necessary  for  every  man  to  be  on  his 
guart,  and  to  stant  up  to  his  work,  when  it  may  come,  as 
the  pull-tog  stants  up  to  the  ox.  Got  forpit  t'at  I  should 
preach  revenge  over  t'e  grave  of  a  frient ;  but  the  soltiei 


388  SA.TANSTOE. 

fights  none  the  worse  for  knowing  t'at  he  has  peen  injuret  in 
his  feelin's,  aa  has  certainly  peen  the  case  with  ourselves. 
Perhaps  I  ought  to  say  a  wort  in  behalf  of  the  teat,  as  this 
is  the  last,  and  only  time,  that  a  fellow-creature  will  ever 
have  occasion  to  speak  of  him.  Sam  was  an  excellent 
hunter,  as  his  worst  enemy  must  allow ;  and  now  he  is 
gone,  few  petter  remain  pehint.  He  had  one  weakness, 
which,  slanting  over  his  grave,  an  honest  man  ought  not  to 
try  to  conceal ;  he  dit  love  liquor ;  put,  in  this,  he  was  not 
alone.  Nevertheless,  he  was  honest ;  and  his  wort  might 
pass  where  many  a  man's  pont  would  be  wort'less  ;  and  I 
leave  him  in  the  merciful  hants  of  his  Creator.  My  frients, 
I  haf  but  little  more  to  say,  and  that  is  this — that  life  is 
uncertain,  and  deat'  is  sure.  Samuel  has  gone  before  us, 
only  a  little  while;  and  may  we  all  be  equally  preparet  to 
meet  our  great  account.  Amen." 

Did  any  one  smile  at  this  address!  Far  from  it!  Sin 
gular,  disconnected,  and  unsophisticated  as  it  may  seem  to 
certain  persons,  it  had  one  great  merit  that  is  not  always 
discernible  in  the  speeches  of  those  who  officiate  at  the  most 
elaborate  funeral  rites.  Guert  was  sincere,  though  he  might 
not  be  either  logical  or  very  clear.  This  was  apparent  in 
his  countenance,  his  voice,  his  whole  manner.  For  myself, 
I  will  allow,  I  saw  nothing  particularly  out  of  place,  in  this 
address,  at  the  time,  nor  do  I  now  regard  it  as  either  irreve 
rent  or  unseasonable. 

We  left  the  grave  of  the  hunter,  in  the  depths  of  that  in 
terminable  forest,  as  the  ship  passes  away  from  the  spot  on 
the  ocean  where  she  has  dropped  her  dead.  At  some  future 
day,  perhaps,  the  plough-share  may  turn  up  the  bones,  and 
the  husbandman  ruminate  on  the  probable  fate  of  the  lonely 
man,  whose  remains  will  then  again  be  brought  to  the  light 
of  day.  As  we  left  the  spot,  the  Indian  detained  us  a  mo 
ment,  to  put  us  on  our  guard. 

"  Huron  do  that,"  he  said,  meaningly  —  "  No  see  differ 
ence,  eh  1  Saw  no  hang  up  like  Pete." 

"  That  is  true  enough,  Susquesus,"  Guert  answered  ;  for 
Guert,  by  his  age,  his  greater  familiarity  with  the  woods, 
his  high  courage  and  his  personal  prowess,  had  now  as 
sumed,  unresistingly  on  our  part,  a  sort  of  chieftainship 
ever  us.  "  Can  you  tell  us  the  reason,  however  ?" 


I  SATANSTOE  389 

"  Muss,  you  call  him,  back  sore  —  that  all.  Know  him 
well ;  don't  love  flog.  No  Injin  love  flog." 

"  And  you  think,  then,  Jaap's  prisoner  has  had  a  hand  in 
this,  and  that  the  war-path  is  open  to  revenge  as  well  as 
public  service — that  we  are  hunted  less  for  our  scalps  than 
to  put  a  plaster  on  the  Huron's  back  ?" 

"  Sartain.  T'ree  canoe  go  by  on  lake — t'at  Muss,  you 
call  him — know  him,  well.  He  no  want  sleep  till  back  get 
well.  See  how  he  use  nigger!  Hang  him  on  tree  —  only 
kill  pale-face  and  take  away  scalp." 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  he  made  this  difference  in  the 
treatment  of  his  two  captives,  on  account  of  the  colour  ? 
That  he  was  so  cruel  to  Petrus  because  Jaap,  another  nig 
ger,  had  flogged  him  ?" 

"  Sartain — just  so.  Back  feel  better  after  t'at.  Good  for 
back  to  hang  nigger.  Jaap  see,  some  time." 

I  will  do  my  fellow  the  justice  to  say,  that  in  the  way  of 
;ourage,  few  men  were  his  equals.  As  I  have  said  before, 
he  only  feared  spooks,  or  Dutch  ghosts ;  for  the  awe  he  had 
of  me  was  so  blended  with  love,  as  not  to  deserve  the  name 
of  fear.  In  general,  unless  the  weather  happened  to  be  cold, 
his  face  was  of  a  deep,  glistening  black ;  coffin-colour,  as 
the  boys  sometimes  called  it ;  but,  I  observed,  notwithstand 
ing  his  nerve  and  his  keen  desire  to  be  revenged  for  the 
cruel  treatment  bestowed  on  his  companion  and  brother, 
that  his  skin  now  assumed  a  greyish  hue,  such  as  is  seen 
only  in  hard  frosts,  as  a  rule,  in  the  people  of  his  race.  It 
was  evident  that  the  Trackless'  manner  of  speaking  had 
produced  an  effect  ,•  and  I  have  always  thought  the  impres 
sion  then  made  on  Jaap  was  of  infinite  service  to  us,  by 
setting  in  motion,  and  keeping  in  lively  activity,  every 
faculty  of  his  mind  and  body.  I  had  a  specimen  of  this,  as 
we  moved  off",  Jaap  walking  for  some  distance  close  at  my 
heels,  in  order  to  make  me  the  repository  of  his  griefs  and 
so.  'citude. 

"  L  hopes,  Masser  Corny,  sah,"  commenced  the  negro, 
'•  you  c1  oesn't  t'ink  anyt'ing  of  what  dis  here  Injin  say  ?" 

"  I  thii.k,  Jaap,  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  keep  your 

eyes  open,  ind  by  no  means  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  your 

friend  Muss,  as  you  call  him,  or  he  may  serve  you  even 

worse  than  he  served  poor  Pete.     I  hope,  too,  this  will  be  9 

33* 


390  SATANSTOE. 

warning  to  you,  of  the  necessity  of  treating  your  prisoners 
kindly,  should  you  ever  make  another." 

"  1  don't  t'ink,  Masser  Corny,  you  consider  pretty  much, 
sah.  What  good  it  do  a  nigger  to  captivate  an  Injin,  if  he 
let  him  go  ag'in,  and  don't  lick  him  little?  Only  little, 
Masser  Corny.  Ebbery  t'ing  so  handy  too,  sah — rope  all 
ready,  back  bare,  and  feelin'  up,  like,  after  such  a  time  in 
takin'  'e  varmint,  sah !" 

"  Well,  Jaap,  what  is  done,  is  done,  and  there  is  no  use 
in  regretting  it,  in  words.  Of  one  thing,  however,  you  may 
be  certain  ;  no  mercy  will  be  shown  you,  should  this  fellow, 
Muss,  be  actually  out  here,  on  our  heels,  and  should  you  be 
so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  into  his  hands." 

The  negro  growled  out  his  discontent,  and  I  could  see 
that  his  mind  was  made  up  to  give  stout  battle,  ere  his  wool 
should  be  disturbed  by  the  knife  of  a  savage.  A  moment 
later,  he  stepped  aside,  and  respectfully  permitted  Dirck  to 
take  his  proper  place,  next  to  me,  in  the  line. 

We  may  have  proceeded  two  miles  from  the  spot  where 
we  had  buried  Sam,  the  hunter,  when  on  rising  a  little  hil 
lock,  the  Indian  tossed  his  arm,  the  sign  that  a  new  disco 
very  was  made.  This  time,  however,  the  gesture  was  rather 
made  in  exultation  than  in  horror.  As  he  came  to  a  dead 
halt  at  the  same  instant,  we  all  closed  eagerly  up,  and  got  an 
early  view  of  the  cause  of  this  exhibition  of  feeling. 

The  ground  fell  away,  in  a  sort  of  swell,  for  some  dis 
tance  in  our  front ;  and,  the  trees  being  all  of  the  largest 
size,  and  totally  without  underbrush,  the  place  had  some 
what  of  the  appearance  of  a  vast,  forest  edifice,  to  which  the 
canopy  of  leaves  above  formed  the  roof,  and  the  stems  of 
oaks,  lindens,  beeches  and  maples,  might  be  supposed  to  be 
the  columns  that  upheld  it.  Within  this  wide,  gloomy,  yet 
not  unpleasant  hall,  a  sombre  light  prevailed,  like  that  which 
is  cast  through  the  casements  of  an  edifice  of  the  ancient 
style  of  architecture,  rendering  everything  mellow  and  grave. 
A  spring  of  sweet  water  gushed  from  a  rock,  and  near  it 
were  seated,  in  a  circle,  Mr.  Traverse  and  his  two  chain- 
bearers,  seemingly  taking  their  morning's  meal ;  or,  rather, 
reclining  after  it,  with  the  pail,  platters  and  fragments  before 
hem ;  like  men  reposing  after  appeasing  their  hunger,  and 

VOL.  II.  — 14 


SATANSTOE.  391 

passing  a  few  minutes  in  idle  talk.     Torn,  the  second  huntei 
and  axe-man,  lay  asleep,  a  little  apart. 

"  Here  has  been  even  no  alarm,  thank  Got,"  said  Gucrt, 
cheerfully,  "  and  we  are  in  time  to  let  them  know  their 
danger.  I  will  give  the  call ;  it  will  sound  sweetly  to  their 
ears !" 

"  No  call,"  said  Trackless,  quickly ;  "  hollow  no  gooi, 
now.  Soon  get  there,  and  tell  him,  in  low  voice." 

As  this  was  clearly  prudent,  we  pushed  forward  in  a  body, 
taking  no  pains,  however,  to  conceal  our  approach,  but 
making  somewhat  of  a  measured  tread,  with  our  footsteps. 
A  strange  sensation  came  over  me,  as  we  advanced,  and  I 
found  that  neither  of  the  surveyors  stirred  !  A  suspicion  of 
the  dread  truth  forced  itself  on  my  mind  ;  but  I  can  hardly 
say  that  the  shock  was  any  the  less,  when,  on  getting  near, 
we  saw  by  the  pallid  countenances,  fixed,  glassy  eyes,  and 
fallen  jaws,  that  all  our  friends  were  dead.  The  savage 
ingenuity  of  Indians  had  propped  the  bodies  in  reclining  po-. 
sitions,  and  thrown  them  into  attitudes  that  had  a  horrible 
resemblance  to  the  species  of  indulgence  that  I  have  just 
described. 

"  Holy  Heaven  !"  exclaimed  Guert,  dropping  the  butt  of 
his  rifle  on  the  ground ;  "  we  are  too  late  !" 

No  one  else  spoke.  On  removing  the  caps,  it  was  found 
that  each  man  had  been  scalped,  and  that  all  of  those,  whom 
we  had  left  a  few  days  before,  proud  of  their  strength  and 
instinct  with  life,  had  departed  in  spirit,  soon  to  be  seen  no 
more.  Jumper,  the  other  Indian,  alone  remained  to  be  ac 
counted  for.  Rifle-balls  had  been  at  work  here,  each  of  the 
four  having  been  shot;  Mr.  Traverse,  in  po  less  than  three 
places. 

I  will  confess,  that  a  suspicion  of  the  Oneida  crossed  my 
mind,  now,  for  the  first  time ;  and  I  did  not  scruple  to  men 
tion  it  to  my  companions,  as  soon  as  either  of  us  had  power 
to  speak,  or  listen. 

"  No  true,"  said  Trackless,  positively.  "  Jumper  poor 
Injiri — that  so — love  rum — no  rascal,  to  kill  friend.  Muso- 
hoeenah  warrior  to  do  so.  Just  like  him.  No ;  Jumper 
fool — love  rum — no  bad  Injin." 

Where,  then,  was  Jumper?  He  alone,  of  all  whom  we 
had  left  behind  us,  remained  to  be  found.  We  made  a  long 


392  SATANSTOB. 

search  for  his  body,  but  without  any  success.  Susqtiesus 
examined  the  trails,  and  the  bodies,  and  gave  it  as  his  opin 
ion  that  the  surveyor  and  chain-bearers  might  have  beep 
killed  about  three  or  four  hours ;  and  that  the  murderers, 
for  such,  in  our  eyes,  they  who  had  done  the  foul  deed  were 
to  be  accounted,  had  not  been  away  from  the  place  more 
than  twenty  minutes,  when  we  arrived.  This  might  well 
have  happened,  and  we  not  hear  the  rifles ;  as  the  distance 
from  the  hut  was  several  miles  ;  and,  two  hours  before,  we 
must  have  been  not  far  from  the  place  where  we  had  passed 
the  night.  That  the  attack  occurred  after  daylight,  was 
reasonably  certain ;  and,  as  Pete  was  surely  seized  while 
alive,  some  intelligence  might  have  been  obtained  from  him, 
that  directed  the  savages  to  the  point  where  the  outlying 
party  would  probably  be  expecting  him.  Nevertheless,  this 
was  pretty  much  conjecture,  and  we  never  knew  which  vic 
tim  fell  first,  or  whether  the  negro  was  taken  at  all,  near 
.  the  spot  where  he  was  gibbeted.  The  infernal  "cruelty  of 
his  conquerors  may  have  kept  him  as  a  prisoner,  for  some 
time  before  the  final  catastrophe,  and  caused  them  to  carry 
him  about  with  them  as  a  captive,  in  order  to  subject  the 
wretch  to  as  much  misery  as  possible,  for,  as  Susquesus  said, 
Muss'  *  back  very  sore.' 

We  buried  poor  Traverse,  and  his  chain-bearers,  near  the 
spring,  using  one  of  the  same  natural  hollows  in  the  earth 
as  that  in  which  we  had  interred  the  hunter.  On  a  search, 
it  was  ascertained  that  their  arms  and  ammunition  had  been 
carried  off,  and  that  the  pockets  of  the  dead  men  had  been 
rifled.  The  American  Indian  is  seldom  a  thief,  in  the  ordi 
nary  sense  of  the  term ;  but,  he  treats  the  property  of  those 
whom  he  slays  as  his  own.  In  this  particular,  he  does  not 
differ  materially  from  the  civilized  soldier,  I  believe,  plunder 
being  usually  considered  as  a  legitimate  benefit  of  war.  The 
Hurons  had  laid  their  hands  on  the  compass  and  chains,  for 
we  could  discover  neither ;  but  they  had  left  the  field-book 
and  notes  of  Traverse,  as  things  that,  to  them,  were  useless. 
In  other  respects,  the  visit  of  the  savages  to  this  fatal  spot 
left  the  appearance  of  having  been  hurried. 

On  this  occasion,  Guert  made  no  attempts  at  morals,  or 
eloquence.  The  shock  had  disqualified  us  all  for  anything 
of  the  sort,  and  we  discharged  our  duties  with  the  earnea* 


SA  TANS  TOE.  393 

diligence,  and  grave  thoughtfulness,  of, men  who  did  not 
know  but  the  next  moment  might  bring  themselves  into  the 
midst  of  a  scene  of  deadly  strife.  We  worked  hard,  and  a 
little  hastily,  and  were  soon  ready  to  depart.  It  was  deter 
mined,  on  a  hurried  consultation,  to  follow  the  trail  of  the 
Hurons,  as  the  most  certain  method  of  surprising  them,  on 
the  one  hand,  and  of  preventing  them  from  surprising  us, 
on  the  other.  The  Indian  would  have  no  difficulty  in  pur 
suing  the  very  obvious  trail  that  was  left,  and  which  bore 
all  the  proofs  of  having  been  left  by  a  dozen  men. 

The  reader,  who  is  unacquainted  with  the  usages  of  the 
American  savage,  is  not  to  suppose  that  this  party  had 
moved  through  the  forest,  in  a  disorderly  group,  regardless 
of  the  nature  of  the  vestiges  of  their  passage  left  behind 
them.  The  native  warrior  never  does  that;  usually  he 
marches  in  a  line  of  single  files,  which  has  obtained  the 
name  of  Indian  file  with  us  ;  and,  whenever  there  are  strong 
reasons  for  concealing  his  numbers,  it  is  his  practice  for 
each  succeeding  man  to  follow,  as  nearly  as  possible,  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  warrior  who  precedes  him;  thereby  render 
ing  a  computation  difficult,  if  not  impossible.  In  this  man 
ner  our  foes  had  evidently  marched ;  but  Susquesus,  who 
had  been  busy  examining  the  marks  around  the  spring,  the 
whole  time  we  were  occupied  in  burying  the  dead,  gave  it 
as  his  opinion  that  our  enemies  could  not  number  less  than 
a  dozen  warriors.  This  was  not  very  pleasing  intelligence, 
since  it  would  render  success  in  a  conflict  next  to  hopeless. 
So,  at  least,  I  viewed  the  matter,  though  Guert  saw  things 
differently.  This  highly  intrepid  man  could  not  find  it  in 
his  heart  to  abandon  the  idea  of  driving  foes  so  ruthless 
out  of  the  country ;  and,  I  do  believe,  he  would  have  faced 
a  hundred  savages  at  once  when  we  quitted  the  spring. 

The  Onondago  had  no  difficulty  in  following  the  trail, 
which  led  us,  at  first,  for  some  distance  in  a  line  towards 
Ravensnest,  then  made  a  sudden  inclination  in  the  direction 
of  the  hut.  It  was  probably  owing  to  this  circuit,  and  want 
of  settled  purpose  in  the  Hurons,  that  we  did  not  encounter 
them  on  our  advance  towards  the  "  bloody  spring,"  as  the 
spot  where  Traverse  was  slain  has  been  subsequently 
called. 

It  was  not  long  ere  we  found  ourselves  quite  near  our  own 


394  SATANSTOB. 

trail,  though,  perhaps  fortunately  for  us,  we  did  not  actually 
strike  it.  Had  our  movement  been  discovered,  doubtless  the 
enemy  would  have  got  into  our  rear,  a  position  in  which 
Indians  are  always  most  formidable.  As  it  was,  however, 
we  possessed  that  great  advantage  ourselves,  and  pursued 
our  way  with  so  much  the  greater  confidence,  knowing  full 
well  that  danger  was  only  to  be  apprehended  in  our  front, 
the  quarter  on  which  all  our  eyes  were  fixed. 

Although  our  return-march  was  swift,  it  was  silent  as 
that  of  a  train  of  mourners.  Mourners  we  were,* indeed,  for 
it  was  not  possible  for  human  hearts  to  be  so  obdurate  as  to 
feel  insensible  to  the  amount  of  misery  that  our  late  com 
panions  must  have  suffered,  and  to  the  suddenness  of  their 
fates.  No  one  spoke,  and  Susquesus  had  never  found  us  so 
close  on  his  heels  as  we  kept  ourselves  all  that  morning. 
The  foot  of  the  file-leader  was  scarcely  out  of  its  place,  ere 
that  of  his  successor  covered  the  same  spot ! 

The  trail  led  us  quite  close  to  the  hut,  which  we  reached 
as  near  as  might  be  to  noon.  On  approaching  the  cabin,  we 
used  the  utmost  caution  lest  our  enemies  might  then  be  in  it, 
in  ambush.  The  trail  did  not  extend  quite  to  the  building, 
however,  but  diverged  in  a  westerly  direction,  from  a  point 
that  may  have  been  a  hundred  yards  distant  from  our  habi 
tation,  though  in  full  view  of  it.  Here  we  found  the  signs 
of  a  gathering  of  the  party  into  a  cluster,  and  we  inferred 
that  a  counsel  had  been  held  on  the  subject  of  once  more 
going  to  the  hut,  or  of  turning  aside  to  pursue  some  other 
object.  Susquesus  made  a  close  examination  at  this  spot, 
and  gave  it  as  his  opinion,  again,  that  the  hostiles  must,  at 
least,  number  the  dozen  he  had  already  mentioned.  Leaving 
us  to  watch  the  signs  about  our  dwelling,  from  covers  we 
took  for  that  purpose,  he  followed  the  trail  for  half  a  mile, 
in  order"  to  make  certain  it  did  not  approach  the  log-house 
on  its  opposite  side.  So  far  from  this  proving  to  be  the 
case,  however,  he  ascertained  that  it  led  off  in  a  straight 
line  towards  Ravensnest.  This  was,  if  anything,  more  un 
pleasant  news  to  Guert  and  myself,  than  if  the  Onondago 
had  brought  back  a  confirmation  of  his  first  suspicion  that 
the  Hurons  might  be  waiting  for  us,  in  our  own  temporary 
house.  Complaints  were  useless,  however,  and  we  smother 
ed  our  apprehensions  as  well  as  we  could. 


SATANSTOE.  395 

Susquesus  was  not  a  warrior  to  confide  entirely  in  the 
signs  of  an  open  march.  Experienced  woodsmen  frequently 
left  their  trails  visible  expressly  to  deceive  ;  and  the  Onon- 
dago,  who  personally  knew  Muss,  as  Jaap  called  his  pri 
soner,  was  fully  aware  that  he  had  to  deal  with  a  profoundly 
artful  foe.  Not  satisfied  with  even  what  he  had  seen,  he 
cautioned  us  about  quitting  the  cover,  except  under  his 
guidance,  and  then  commenced  a  mode  of  approach  that 
was  purely  Indian,  and  which,  in  its  way,  had  much  of  the 
merit  of  the  approaches  of  more  civilized  besiegers,  by 
means  of  their  entrenchments  and  zig-zags.  Our  advance 
was  regulated  in  this  way.  Each  man  was  told  to  select 
the  nearest  tree  that  led  him  towards  the  hut,  and  to  pass 
from  the  old  to  the  new  cover,  in  as  rapid  and  sudden  a 
manner  as  his  agility  would  allow.  By  observing  this  pre 
caution,  and  by  using  great  activity,  we  had  got  within 
twenty  yards  of  the  door  of  the  cabin,  in  the  course  of  ten 
minutes.  Guert  could  not  submit  to  this  slow,  and,  as  he 
called  it,  unmanly  procedure  any  longer;  but  quitting  his 
cover,  he  now  walked  straight  and  steadily  to  the  door  of 
the  cabin,  threw  it  open,  and  announced  to  us  that  the  place 
was  empty.  Susquesus  made  another  close  examination 
around  the  building,  and  told  us  he  felt  quite  certain  that 
the  spot  had  not  been  visited  since  we  had  left  it  that  morn 
ing.  That  was  grateful  intelligence  to  us  all,  since  it  was 
the  only  probable  clue  by  which  our  enemies  could  have 
learned  our  return  to  the  Patent  at  all. 

The  question  now  arose  as  to  future  proceedings.  No 
thing  was  to  be  gained  by  remaining  on  the  property,  while 
prudence,  and  the  danger  of  our  friends,  united  to  call  us 
away.  We  felt  it  would  be  a  most  hazardous  thing  to  at 
tempt  reaching  Ravensnest ;  though  we  felt  it  was  a  hazard 
we  were  bound  to  incur.  While  the  matter  was  talked  over, 
those  among  us  who  had  any  appetite,  profited  by  the  halt, 
to  dine.  An  Indian  on  a  war-path,  is  equally  ready  to  eat, 
or  to  fast ;  his  powers  of  endurance,  both  ways,  more  espe 
cially  when  the  food  is  game,  amounting  to  something  won 
derful. 

While  Susquesus,  and  Jaap.,  in  particular,  were  performing 
their  parts  in  a  very  serious  manner,  in  this  way,  and  the 
rest  of  us  were  picking  up  a  few  morsels,  more  like  men 


396  SATANSTOE. 

whose  moral  feelings  checked  their  physical  propensities,  I 
caught  a  distant  glimpse  of  a  man's  form,  as  it  glided  among 
the  trees,  at  some  distance  from  us.  Surprise  and  awe  were 
so  strong  in  me,  that  I  did  not  speak,  but  pointed  with  a 
finger  eagerly  in  the  necessary  direction,  in  order  to  let  the 
Onondago  see  the  same  object  too.  Susquesus  was  not  slow 
in  detecting  the  stranger,  however ;  for  I  think  he  must  have 
seen  him,  even  before  he  was  descried  by  myself.  Instead  of 
manifesting  any  emotion,  however,  the  Onondago  did  not 
even  cease  to  eat;  but  merely  nodded  his  head,  and  muttered, 
"  Good — now  hear  news — Jumper  come." 

Sure  enough,  it  was  Jumper ;  and  his  appearance  in  the 
flesh,  not  only  alive,  but  unharmed,  produced  a  general 
shout  among  us  as  he  came  in,  on  such  a  long,  loping  gait, 
as  usually  marked  a  runner's  movement.  In  a  moment  he 
was  among  us,  calm,  collected,  and  without  motion.  He 
gave  no  salutation,  but  seated  himself  quietly  on  a  log, 
waiting  to  be  questioned,  before  he  spoke  ;  impatience  being 
a  womanly  weakness. 

"  Jumper,  my  honest  fellow,"  cried  Guert,  not  without 
emotion,  for  joy  was  struggling  powerfully  with  his  organs 
of  speech,  "  you  are  heartily  welcome  !  These  devils  in 
carnate,  the  Hurons,  have  not  injured  you,  at  least !" 

Liquor  had  rendered  Jumper's  faculties  somewhat  obtuse, 
in  general,  though  he  was  now  perfectly  sober.  He  gave  a 
sort  of  dull  look  of  recognition  at  the  speaker,  and  muttered 
his  answer  in  a  low,  sluggish  tone : 

"  Plenty  Huron,"  he  said  ;  "  clearin'  full.  Pale-face  in 
fort  send  Jumper  with  message." 

We  should  have  overwhelmed  the  fellow  with  questions, 
had  he  not  unfolded  a  corner  of  his  calico  shirt,  and  exhi 
bited  several  letters,  each  of  which  was  soon  in  the  hand  o*" 
the  individual  to  whom  it  was  addressed.  Guert,  Dirck, 
and  myself,  severally  got  his  communication ;  while  there 
was  a  fourth,  in  the  handwriting  of  Herman  Mordaunt,  that 
bore  the  superscription  of  poor  Traverse's  name.  Subse 
quent  events  have  placed  it  in  my  power  to  give  copies  of  all 
the  letters,  thus  received.  My  own  was  in  the  following 
words : 

"  My  dearest  father  is  so  much  occupied,  as  to  desire  me 


SATANSTOE.  397 

to  write  you  this  note.  Mr.  Bulstrode  sent  an  express,  yea 
terday,  who  was  bearer  of  the  sad  tidings  from  Ticonderoga. 
He  also  announced  his  own  approach  ;  and  we  expect  him, 
in  a  horse-litter,  this  evening.  Reports  are  flying  about  the 
settlement,  that  savages  have  been  seen  in  our  own  woods. 
I  endeavour  to  hope  that  this  is  only  one  of  those  idle  ru 
mours,  of  which  we  have  had  so  many,  lately.  My  father 
however,  is  taking  all  necessary  precautions,  and  he  desires 
me  to  urge  on  you  the  necessity  of  collecting  all  your  party, 
should  you  be  again  at  Mooseridge,  and  of  joining  us  without 
delay.  We  have  heard  of  your  safety,  and  gallant  conduct, 
through  the  man  sent  forward  by  Mr.  Bulstrode ;  his  master 
having  heard  of  you  all,  safe  in  a  canoe  on  the  lake,  the 
night  after  the  battle,  through  a  Mr.  Lee ;  a  gentleman  of 
great  eccentricity  of  character,  though,  it  is  said,  of  much 
talent,  with  whom  papa  happens  to  be  acquainted.  I  trust 
this  note  will  find  you  at  your  hut,  and  that  we  shall  see 
you  all,  with  the  least  possible  delay. 

"ANNEKE." 

This,  certainly,  was  not  a  note  to  appease  the  longings 
of  a  lover;  though  I  had  infinite  gratification  in  seeing  the 
pretty  characters  that  had  been  traced  by  Anne  Mordaunt'g 
hand,  and  of  kissing  the  page  over  which  that  hand  must  have 
passed.  But,  there  was  a  postscript,  the  part  of  a  letter  in 
which  a  woman  is  said  always  to  give  the  clearest  insight 
into  her  true  thoughts.  It  was  in  these  words,  viz. : — 

"  I  see  that  I  have  underscored  the  '  me,'  where  I  speak 
of  papa's  desire  that  /should  write  to  you,  in  preference  to 
another.  We  have  gone  through  one  dreadful  scene,  in 
company,  and,  I  confess,  Corny,  I  should  feel  far  happier, 
if  another  is  to  occur,  that  you,  and  yours,  should  be  with 
us,  here,  behind  the  defences  of  this  house,  than  exposed,  as 
you  otherwise  might  be,  in  the  forest.  Come  to  us,  then,  I 
repeat,  with  the  least  possible  delay." 

This  postscript  afforded  me  far  more  satisfaction  than  the 
body  of  the  note  ;  and  I  was  quite  as  ready  to  comply  with 
Anneke's  request,  as  the  dear  girl,  herself,  could  be  to  urge 
it.  Guert's  letter  was  as  follows  : — 

"  Mr.  Mordaunt  has  commanded  Anneke  and  myself  to 
34 


39$  SATANSTOE. 

write  to  those  of  your  party,  with  whom  he  fancies  each  has 
the  most  influence,  to  urge  you  to  come  to  Ravensnest,  as 
speedily  as  possible.  We  have  received  most  melancholy 
news ;  and  a  panic  prevails  among  the  poor  people  of  this 
settlement.  We  learn  that  Mr.  Bulstrode,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Worden,  is  within  a  few  hours'  journey  of  us,  and  the 
families  of  the  vicinity  are  coming  to  us,  frightened  and 
weeping.  I  do  not  know  that  I  feel  much  alarmed,  myself; 
my  great  dependence  is  on  a  merciful  Providence ;  but,  the 
dread  Being  on  whom  I  rely,  works  through  human  agents  ; 
and,  I  know  of  none  in  whom  I  can  place  more  confidence, 
than  on  Guert  Ten  Eyck. 

"MARY  WALLACE." 

"By  St.  Nicholas!  Corny,  these  are  such  summonses  as 
a  man  never  hesitates  about  obeying,"  cried  Guert,  rising, 
and  beginning  to  replace  his  knapsack.  "  By  using  great 
diligence,  we  may  reach  the  Nest,  yet,  before  the  family 
goes  to  bed,  and  make  not  only  them,  but  ourselves,  so  much 
the  more  comfortable  aad  secure." 

Guert  had  a  willing  auditor,  in  me ;  nor  was  Dirck  at  all 
backward  about  complying.  The  letters  certainly  much 
quickened  our  impulses;  though,  in  fact,  there  remained 
nothing  else  to  do ;  unless,  indeed,  we  intended  to  lie  out, 
exposed  to  all  the  risks  of  a  vindictive  and  savage  warfare. 
Direk's  letter  was  from  Herman  Mordaunt ;  and  it  told  the 
truth  in  plainer  language  than  it  had  been  related  by  either 
of  the  ladies.  Here  it  is. 

"  DEAR  DIRCK, — The  savages  are  certainly  approaching 
us,  my  young  kinsman ;  and  it  is  for  the  good  of  us  all  to 
unite  our  forces.  Come  in,  for  God's  sake,  with  your 
whole  party,  as  speedily  as  possible.  I  have  had  scouts  out, 
and  they  have  all  come  in  with  reports  that  the  signs  of 
trails,  in  the  forest,  abound.  I  expect,  at  least  a  hundred 
warriors  will  be  upon  us,  by  to-morrow,  and  am  making 
my  preparations  accordingly.  In  approaching  the  Nest,  I 
would  advise  you  to  enter  the  ravine  north  of  the  house,  and 
to  keep  within  its  cover  until  you  get  to  its  southern  termi 
nation.  This  will  bring  you  within  a  hundred  rods  of  the 
gate,  and  greatly  increase  your  chances  of  entering,  should 


SATANSTOB.  399 

we  happen  to  be  invested  when  you  get  here.     God  blew 
you,  dear  Dirck,  and  guide  you  all  safely  to  your  friends. 

"HERMAN  MORDAUNT. 
"Ravensnest,  July  llth,  1758." 

Guert  and  I  read  this  letter  hastily,  before  we  commenced 
our  march.  Then,  abandoning  the  hut,  and  all  it  contained, 
to  the  mercy  of  any  who  might  pass  that  way,  we  set  off 
for  our  point  of  destination,  on  a  quick  step,  carrying  little 
besides  our  arms,  ammunition,  and  the  food  that  was  neces 
sary  to  assure  our  strength. 

As  before,  Trackless  led,  keeping  the  Jumper  a  little  on 
his  flank;  the  danger  of  encountering  foes  being  now  con 
sidered  to  be  greatly  increased.  It  was  true,  we  were  still 
in  the  rear  of  the  party  that  had  committed  the  deeds  at 
Mooseridge  ;  but  the  Onondago  no  longer  followed  its  trail; 
pursuing  a  different  course,  or  one  that  led  directly  to  his 
object. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

«  My  father  had  a  daughter  lov'd  a  man, 
As  it  might  be  perhaps,  were  I  a  woman, 
I  should  your  lordship." 

Viola. 

As  the  reader  must,  by  this  time,  have  a  pretty  accurate 
idea  of  our  manner  of  marching  in  the  wilderness,  I  shall 
not  dwell  on  this  part  of  our  proceedings  any  longer.  On 
we  went,  and  at  a  rapid  rate,  the  guide  having  abandoned 
the  common  route,  which  had  got  to  be  a  pretty  visible  trail, 
and  taking  another  on  which,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  he  had 
no  other  clue  than  an  instinct.  Guert  had  told  Susquesus 
of  the  ravine,  and  how  desirable  it  was  to  reach  it,  getting 
for  an  answer  a  quiet  nod  of  the  head,  and  a  low  ejacula 
tion.  It  was  understood,  however,  that  we  were  to  approach 
Herman  Mordaunt's  fortress,  by  that  avenue. 


400  8ATANSTOB. 

It  was  past  the  turn  of  the  day  when  we  quitted  Moose- 
ridge,  and  none  of  us  hoped  to  reach  Ravensnest  before 
dark.  It  fell  out,  as  we  expected,  night  drawing  its  veil 
over  the  scene,  about  half  an  hour  before  the  Trackless 
plunged  into  the  northern,  or  forest-end  of  the  ravine.  Thus 
far,  we  had  got  no  evidence  whatever  of  the  proximity  of 
foes.  Our  march  had  been  silent,  rapid,  and  watchful,  but 
it  proved  to  be  perfectly  undisturbed.  We  knew,  however, 
that  the  critical  portion  of  it  was  still  before  us ;  and  just  as 
the  sun  set,  we  had  made  a  halt,  in  order  to  look  to  our 
arms.  It  may  now  be  well  to  say  a  word  or  two  on  the 
subject  of  the  position  of  Herman  Mordaunt's  *  garrison,'  as 
well  as  of  the  adjacent  settlement.  I  call  Ravensnest  the 
*  garrison,'  for  that  is  the  word  which  New  York  custom  has 
long  applied  to  the  fortress  itself,  as  well  as  those  who  de 
fend  it.  Some  critics  pretend  there  is  authority  to  justify 
the  practice,  and  I  see  by  the  dictionaries  that  they  are  not 
entirely  in  the  wrong. 

The  Nest  stood  quite  half  a  mile  from  the  nearest  point 
of  the  forest,  a  belt  of  trees  that  fringed  the  margin,  and 
which  filled  the  cavity  of  the  ravine,  excepled.  Near  it, 
and  in  plain  sight,  was  the  heart  of  the  settlement  itself, 
which  extended,  in  an  east  and  west  direction,  fully  four 
miles.  This  area,  however,  was  cleared  only  in  a  settle 
ment  fashion;  having  patches  of  virgin  forest  scattered 
pretty  profusely  over  its  surface.  The  milHot,  as  Jason's 
purchase  was  termed,  lay  at  the  most  distant  extremity  of 
the  view,  but,  as  yet,  the  axe  had  not  been  applied  to  it.  I 
had  remarked  in  my  last  visit  to  the  place,  that,  standing 
before  Herman  Mordaunt's  door,  something  like  a  dozen 
log  cabins  were  to  be  seen  at  a  time  in  different  parts  of  the 
settlement,  and  that  this  number  might  have  been  increased 
*o  twenty,  by  varying  the  observer's  position. 

Of  course,  the  whole  of  the  open  space  was  more  or  less 
disfigured  by  stumps,  dead  and  girdled  trees,  charred  stubs, 
log-heaps,  brush,  and  all  the  other  unseemly  accompani 
ments  of  the  first  eight  or  ten  years  of  the  existence  of  a 
new  settlement.  This  period,  in  the  history  of  a  country, 
may  be  likened  to  the  hobbledehoy  condition  in  ourselves, 
when  we  have  lost  the  graces  of  childhood,  without  having 
attained  the  finished  forms  of  men. 


SATANSTOE.  401 

Herman  Mordaunt's  settlement  would  have  been  thought 
a  strong  country,  in  one  sense,  for  a  field  fight,  had  there 
been  men  enough  to  contend  with  a  hostile  party  of  any 
force.  But,  I  had  heard  him  say  that  he  had  but  about 
seventeen  rifles  and  muskets  that  could  be  in  the  least  relied 
on,  inasmuch  as  some  of  his  people  were  Europeans,  and 
had  no  knowledge  of  fire-arms,  while  experience  had  shown 
that  others,  on  the  occurrence  of  an  alarm,  invariably  fled 
to  the  woods,  with  their  families,  instead  of  rallying  around 
the  settlement  colours.  Such  delinquencies  usually  take 
place,  I  believe,  on  all  emergencies ;  love  of  life  being  even 
a  stronger  instinct  than  love  of  property.  Here  and  there 
a  sturdy  fellow,  however,  would  bar  himself  in,  with  a  de 
termination  to  go  for  the  whole,  under  his  own  bark  roof; 
and,  occasionally,  defences  were  made  that  would  do  credit 
to  a  hero. 

It  should  be  apparent  to  those  who  have  any  accurate 
notion  of  savage  warfare,  that  the  ravine,  being,  as  it  was, 
the  only  wooded  spot  near  Herman  Mordaunt's  fortress, 
would  be  the  place  of  all  others  most  likely  to  contain  an 
enemy  who  made  his  approaches  against  a  garrison,  by 
means  of  natural  facilities  alone.  We  were  aware  of  this  ; 
and  Guert,  who  took  an  active  command  among  us,  as  we 
drew  near  to  danger,  issued  his  commands  for  every  man  to  be 
on  the  alert,  in  order  that  there  might  be  no  confusion.  We 
were  instructed  as  to  the  manner  of  proceeding  the  moment 
an  alarm  was  given ;  and  Guert,  who  was  a  capital  mimic, 
had  previously  taught  us  several  calls  and  rallying  signals, 
all  of  which  were  good  imitations  of  the  cries  of  different 
tenants  of  the  woods,  principally  birds.  These  signals  had 
their  origin  with  the  red-man,  who  often  resorted  to  them, 
and  were  said  to  be  more  successfully  practised  by  our  own 
hunters  and  riflemen  than  even  by  those  with  whom  they 
originated. 

On  entering  the  ravine,  the  order  of  our  march  was 
changed.  While  Susquesus  and  Jumper  were  still  kept  in 
advance,  Guert,  Dirck,  Jaap  and  myself  moved  abreast,  and 
quite  close  together.  The  density  of  the  foliage,  and  the 
deep  obscurity  that  prevailed  in  the  bottom  of  this  dell-like 
hollow,  rendered  this  precaution  necessary.  It  soon  became 
so  dark,  indeed,  that  our  only  guide  was  the  brook  thai 
34* 


402  SATANSTOE. 

gurgled  along  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  and  which  we  knetf 
issued  into  the  open  ground  at  its  termination,  to  join  a  small 
river  that  meandered  through  some  natural  meadows  to  the 
westward  of  the  Nest,  but  which,  in  the  language  of  the 
country,  was  called  a  'creek.'  This  abuse  of  good  old 
English  words,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  getting  to  be  only  too 
common  among  us ;  yet,  I  have  heard  Americans  boast  that 
we  speak  the  language  better  than  the  mother  country  !  That 
we  have  no  class  among  us  that  uses  an  unintelligible  dia 
lect,  like  that  of  Lancashire  or  Yorkshire,  is  true  enough ; 
and,  that  we  have  fewer  persons  who  use  decided  vulgarisms, 
in  the  way  of  false  grammar,  than  is  the  case  in  England, 
may  be  also  accurate ;  but,  it  might  be  well  for  us  to  correct 
a  great  many  faults  into  which  we  have  certainly  fallen,  be 
fore  we  declaim  with  so  much  confidence  about  the  purity 
of  our  English.*  To  return  to  the  ravine. 

We  had  gone  so  far  in  the  hollow,  dark  dell,  as  to  have 
reached  a  point  where  the  faint  light  of  the  open  ground 
and  the  stars  in  the  firmament  became  visible  to  us,  when 
we  suddenly  found  ourselves  alongside  of  the  Trackless 
and  Jumper.  These  Indians  had  halted ;  for  their  quick, 
jealous,  eagle-like  glances  had  detected  the  signs  of  enemies. 
Nor  was  this  discovery  very  difficult  to  make,  though  soms 
pains  had  actually  been  taken  to  conceal  what  was  going 
on  in  our  front.  A  party  of  some  forty  savages,  every  man 
of  whom  was  in  his  war-paint,  had  lighted  a  fire  beneath  a 
shelving  rock,  and  were  gathered  around  it  at  supper.  The 
fire  had  already  done  its  duty,  and  was  now  merely  smoul- 

*  It  is  northern  American,  to  call  a  small  '  lake'  a  *  pond,'  a  small 

*  river'  a  '  creek,'  even  though  it  should  be  an  '  outlet,'  instead  of  an 

*  inlet,'  &c.  &c.     It  is  a  more  difficult  thing  than  is  commonly  sup 
posed,  to  make  two  great   nations,  each   of  which    is  disposed   to 
innovate,  speak  the  same  language  with  precise  uniformity.     The 
Manhattanese,  who  have  probably  fewer  of  the  peculiarities  of  the 
inhabitants  of  a  capital  than  the  population  of  any  other  town  in  the 
world  of  four  hundred  thousand  souls,  the  consequences  of  a  rapid 
growth,  and  of  a  people  who  have  come  principally  from  the  country, 
are  much  addicted  to  introducing  new  significations  for  words,  which 
arise  from  their  own  provincial  habits.     In  Manhattanese  parlance, 
for  instance,  a  *  square'  is  a  '  park,'  or,  even  a  *  garden'  is  a  '  park.' 
A  promenade,  on  the  water,  is  a  '  battery  !'     It  is  a  pity  that,  in  this 
humour  for  change,  they  have  not  thought  of  altering  the  complex 
and  imitative  lame  of  their  town.  —  EDITOR. 


S AT ANSTOE  . 


403 


dering,  throwing  a  faint,  flickering  light  on  the  dark,  fierce 
features  of  the  group  that  was  clustered  round.  We  might 
have  approached  the  spot  in  any  other  direction,  without 
seeing  the  danger  in  time  to  avoid  it ;  but  a  kind  Providence 
had  carried  the  two  Indians  directly  to  a  point  where  the 
dying  embers  immediately  caught  their  attention,  and  where 
they  halted  as  has  been  said.  I  do  not  think  we  were  more 
than  forty  yards  from  this  fearful  band  of  savages,  when 
they  first  met  my  eye ;  and,  hardened  as  I  had  certainly 
somewhat  become,  by  the  service  and  scenes  I  had  so  lately 
gone  through,  I  will  confess  that  my  blood  was  a  little  chilled 
at  the  sight. 

Our  conference  was  in  whispers.  There  we  stood,  huddled 
together  beneath  a  huge  oak,  the  shade  of  which  rendered 
the  darkness  that  formed  our  only  safeguard,  so  much  the 
more  intense.  So  close  were  we,  in  fact,  that  even  Jaap's 
body  was  in  absolute  contact  with  my  own.  Susquesus 
proposed  making  a  detour,  by  crossing  the  brook,  which, 
fortunately,  tumbled  down  some  rocks  at  this  point,  making 
a  very  favourable  noise,  and  thus  pass  our  enemies,  who 
would  not  probably  end  their  meal  until  we  had  time  to 
reach  the  '  garrison.'  To  this  Guert  applied  his  veto.  He 
was  of  opinion,  and  I  have  always  thought  it  was  the  deci 
sion  of  a  man  born  to  be  a  soldier,  that  we  were  exactly  in 
the  position  we  might  desire  to  occupy,  in  order  to  be  of 
great  service  to  the  family,  and  to  strike  the  enemy  with  a 
panic.  By  attacking,  we  should  certainly  surprise  the  party 
in  our  front,  and  might  make  such  an  impression  as  would 
induce  them  to  abandon  the  settlement.  Both  Dirck  and 
myself  coincided  in  this  opinion,  which  even  received  the 
support  of  Jaap's  voice. 

"Yes,  sah  !  —  yes,  Masser  Corny,  now  'e  time  to  wen- 
geance  poor  Pete  !"  he  muttered,  and  that  rather  louder  than 
was  thought  quite  prudent. 

As  soon  as  the  Trackless  found  how  things  were  going, 
he  and  Jumper  prepared  for  the  conflict,  as  coolly  as  any 
of  us.  Our  arrangements  were  very  simple,  and  were  soon 
made.  We  were  to  deliver  a  single  fire  from  the  spot  where 
we  stood,  shout,  and  charge  with  the  knife  and  tomahawk. 
No  time  was  to  be  wasted,  however ;  and,  instead  of  remain 
ing  near  the  light,  small  as  it  was,  we  were  to  push  for  the 


404  SATANSTOE. 

mouth  of  the  ravine,  and  thence  make  the  best  of  our  way, 
singly  or  in  company,  as  chance  should  offer,  to  the  gate 
of  Ravensnest.  In  a  moment  we  were  in  open  files,  and 
had  our  orders. 

"  Remember  Traverse !"  said  Guert,  sternly — "  remem 
ber  poor  Sam,  and  all  our  murteret  frients !" 

The  reader  knows  that  Guert  was  apt  to  be  very  Dutch, 
when  much  excited.  We  did  remember  the  dead ;  and  I 
have  often  thought,  but  never  knew  precisely,  that  each  of 
us  sacrificed  a  victim  to  the  manes  of  our  lost  companions, 
on  that  stern  occasion.  Our  rifles  rang,  or  cracked  would 
be  the  better  word,  almost  simultaneously  ;  a  yell  arose  from 
the  savages  around  the  fire ;  our  own  shouts  mingled  with 
that  yell,  and  forward  we  went,  endeavouring  to  make  our 
numbers  appear  as  if  we  were  a  hundred. 

One  retains  but  very  indistinct  notions  of  a  charge  like 
that,  made  as  it  was,  in  the  dark,  beyond  its  general  cha 
racteristics.  We  swept  directly  among  the  slain  and 
wounded,  and  I  heard  Jaap  dealing  one  or  two  awful  blows 
on  the  bodies  ;  but  no  one  opposed  us.  A  moment  after  we 
had  passed  the  smouldering  fire,  three  or  four  shot  were 
discharged  at  us,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  their  telling  on 
any  of  our  party.  The  distance  from  the  fire  to  the  mouth 
of  the  ravine,  might  have  been  a  hundred  yards ;  and  the 
external  light,  or  lesser  darkness  may  be  a  better  expression, 
served  us  for  a  guide.  Thither  we  pushed,  fast  as  we  could, 
though  by  no  means  in  compact  order. 

For  this  part  of  the  affair,  I  can  only  speak  for  myself. 
I  saw  men  moving  swiftly  among  the  trees,  and  I  supposed 
them  to  be  my  companions ;  but  we  had  become  separated, 
it  being  understood  that  each  man  was  now  to  shift  for  him 
self.  As  our  rifles  were  discharged,  and  there  was  no  time 
to  reload  them,  there  was  little  use,  indeed,  in  any  halt. 
Perceiving  this,  I  did  not  issue  from  the  ravine  at  the  brook, 
but  clinging  more  to  its  side,  left  it  at  a  little  height  above 
the  level  of  the  adjacent  plain.  Here  I  paused  to  load,  the 
cover  being  good,  and  the  position  every  way  favourable. 
While  thus  employed,  I  found  time  to  look  around  me,  and 
to  ascertain  the  situation  of  things  in  the  settlement,  so  far 
as  the  hour  and  the  obscurity  would  permit. 

The  plain  was  glimmering  with  the  remains  of  a  dozen 


SATANSTOE.  «  405 

large  fires,  the  ruins  of  so  many  log- houses  and  barns. 
Their  light  amounted  to  no  more  than  to  render  the  darkness 
of  the  night  distinctly  visible,  and  to  afford  some  small  clues 
to  the  extent  of  the  ravages  that  had  been  already  committed. 
The  house  of  Ravensnest,  however,  was  untouched.  There 
it  stood,  looking  dark  and  gloomy ;  for,  having  no  external 
windows,  no  other  light  was  to  be  seen  than  a  single  candle, 
that  was  probably  placed  in  a  loophole  as  a  signal.  Pro 
found  stillness  reigned  in  and  around  the  building,  producing 
a  species  of  mystery  that  was,  in  itself,  under  such  circum 
stances,  an  element  of  force.  There  was  not  light  enough 
to  distinguish  objects  at  any  distance,  and,  having  reloaded 
my  rifle,  I  thought  it  wisest  to  make  the  best  of  my  way  to 
the  gate.  At  that  moment,  the  stillness  in  my  rear  seemed 
to  possess  something  affirmatively  fearful  about  it. 

It  was  certainly  a  somewhat  hazardous  thing  to  break 
cover,  at  such  a  moment,  and  under  such  circumstances ; 
but  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  incur  its  risks.  My  first 
leap  carried  me  half-way  down  the  declivity,  and  I  was  soon 
on  the  level  land.  In  my  front  were  two  men,  one  of  whom 
seemed  to  me  to  be  in  the  grasp  of  the>  other.  As  they  were 
moving,  though  slowly,  in  the  direction  of  the  house,  I  ven 
tured  to  ask  l  Who  goes  there  V 

"  Oh,  Corny,  my  lad,  is  that  you  ?"  answered  Guert. 
"  Got  be  praised  !  you  seem  unhurt,  and  are  just  in  time  to 
help  me  along  with  this  Huron,  on  whom  I  blundered  in  the 
dark,  and  have  disarmed  and  captured.  Give  him  a  kick 
or  a  push,  if  you  please ;  for  the  fellow  holds  back  like  a 
hog." 

I  had  too  much  knowledge  of  Indian  vindictiveness,  how 
ever,  to  adopt  the  means  recommended ;  but  seizing  the 
captive  by  one  arm,  while  Guert  held  the  other,  we  ran  him 
up  to  the  abbatis  that  covered  the  gate  of  the  "  garrison," 
with  very  little  difficulty.  Here  we  found  Herman  Mordaunt 
and  a  dozen  of  his  people,  all  armed,  ready  to  receive  us. 
They  were  in  expectation  of  our  appearance,  both  on  account 
of  the  hour,  and  on  account  of  the  clamour  in  the  ravine, 
which  had  been  distinctly  heard  at  the  house.  In  less  than 
a  minute  everybody  was  in,  safe  and  unharmed.  The  fact 
was,  that  our  attack  had  been  so  sudden  as  to  sweep  every 
thing  before  it,  and  the  enemy  had  not  time  to  recover  from 


406  »  8ATAN8TOE. 

his  panic,  before  we  were  all  snugly  housed.  Once  within 
the  gate  of  Ravensnest  we  ran  no  risks,  beyond  those  which 
were  common  to  all  such  log  fortresses  in  the  warfare  of  the 
wilderness. 

It  would  not  be  easy  for  a  pen  as  unskilful  as  mine,  to 
portray  the  change,  from  the  gloom  of  the  ravine,  the  short 
but  bloody  assault,  the  shouts,  the  rush,  and  the  retreat,  of 
the  outer  world,  to  the  scene  of  domestic  security  we  found 
within  the  Nest,  embellished,  as  was  the  last,  by  woman's 
loveliness  and  graces,  and,  in  many  respects,  by  woman's 
elegance.  Anneke  and  her  friend  received  us  in  a  bright, 
cheerful,  comfortable  apartment,  that  was  rendered  so  much 
the  more  attractive  by  their  tears  and  their  smiles,  neither  of 
which  were  spared.  I  could  see  that  both  had  been  dread 
fully  agitated  ;  but  joy  restored  their  colour,  and  brought 
back  the  smiles  to  their  sweet  faces.  The  situation  of  the 
place  was  such,  perhaps,  as  to  render  cheerfulness  neither 
very  lasting  nor  very  lively ;  but  the  tenderest  female  can 
find  her  heart  suddenly  so  lightened  from  its  burthen  of 
apprehensions,  as  to  be  able  to  seem  momentarily  happy, 
even  when  environed-  by  the  horrors  of  war.  Such,  in  a 
measure,  was  the  character  of  the  reception  we  now  received, 
together  with  a  thousand  thanks  for  having  so  promptly 
answered  their  letters  in  person.  The  dear  creatures  had 
the  ingenuity  not  to  seem  to  ascribe  that  prompt  obedience 
to  their  own  requests,  which  we  had  manifested,  to  any  care 
for  ourselves,  but  solely  to  a  wish  to  oblige  and  protect  them. 
The  reader  will  understand  that  all  explanations  still  remained 
to  be  made,  on  both  sides.  These  soon  came,  however ; 
facts  pressing  themselves  on  the  attention,  at  such  times, 
with  a  weight  that  is  irresistible.  The  ice  was  broken  by 
Herman  Mordaunt's  entering  the  room,  and  speaking  to  us, 
like  one  who  felt  that  a  great  omission  had  been  made. 

"  We  had  closed  the  gate,  and  set  the  look-out  at  the 
loops  again,"  he  said,  "  before  I  ascertained  that  all  your 
party  is  not  here.  I  see  nothing  of  Traverse  and  his  chain- 
bearers,  nor  of  Sam  or  Tom,  your  hunters !  Surely,  they 
are  not  left  behind  in  the  forest  ?" 

Neither  of  us  three  spoke.  Our  looks  must  have  told  the 
sad  story,  for  Herman  Mordaurit  seemed  to  understand  us 
s>n  the  instant. 


i  SATANSTOE.  407 

"  No !"  he  exclaimed  —  "  Can  it  be  possible  ?  Not  a/J, 
surely!"  • 

"All,  Mr.  Mordaunt,  even  to  my  poor  slave,  Petrus," 
answered  Guert,  solemnly.  "  They  were  set  upon,  while 
dispersed,  I  suppose,  and  have  been  murdered,  while  we  were 
still  absent,  on  our  expedition." 

The  dear  girls  clasped  their  hands,  and  I  thought  Anneke's 
pallid  lips  moved,  as  if  in  prayer.  Her  father  shook  his 
head,  and  for  some  time  he  paced  the  room  in  silence.  Then 
rousing  himself,  like  one  conscious  of  the  necessity  of 
calmness  and  exertion,  he  resumed  the  discourse. 

"  Thank  God,  Mr.  Bulstrode  reached  us  safely  last  eve 
ning,  just  after  we  despatched  the  runner ;  and  he  is  beyond 
the  reach  of  these  demons  for  the  present !" 

After  this  we  were  enabled  to  converse  more  connectedly, 
exchanging  such  statements  as  enabled  each  party  to  under 
stand  the  precise  condition  of  the  other.  We  were  then 
carried  to  Bulstrode's  room,  for  he  had  expressed  a  desire  to 
see  us,  as  soon  as  we  could  be  spared.  Our  fellow-cam 
paigner  received  us  in  good  spirits,  for  one  in  his  situation, 
speaking  of  the  events  in  front  of  Ticonderoga  sensibly, 
and  without  any  attempt  to  conceal  the  mortification  that  he 
felt,  in  common  with  the  whole  British  empire.  His  hurt 
was  by  no  means  a  bad  one;  likely  to  cripple  him  for  a  few 
weeks,  but  the  leg  was  in  no  danger. 

"  I  have  had  the  resolution  and  address,  Corny,  to  work 
my  way  into  good  quarters,  this  unexpected  siege  excepted," 
he  observed  to  me,  when  the  others  had  withdrawn,  leaving 
us  alone.  "  This  rivalry  of  ours  is  a  generous  one,  and 
may  now  have  fair  play.  If  we  quit  this  Nest  of  Herman 
Mordaunt's  without  ascertaining  the  true  state  of  Anneke's 
feelings,  we  shall  deserve  to  be  condemned  to  celibacy  for 
the  remainder  of  our  days.  There  never  were  two  such 
opportunities  for  wooing  to  advantage  !" 

"  I  confess  our  situation  does  not  strike  me  as  being  quite 
as  favourable,  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  I  answered.  "  Anneke  must 
have  too  many  apprehensions  on  her  own  account,  and  on 
account  of  others,  to  be  as  sensible  to  the  tender  sentiments 
of  love,  as  might  be  the  case  in  the  peace  and  security  of 
Lilacsbush." 

"  Ah !  It  is  very  evident  you  know  nothing  of  the  female 


408  SATANSTOE. 

sex,  Corny,  by  that  remark.  I  will  grant  you,  that  un- 
wooed  previously,  and  without  any  foundation  laid,  if  I  may 
express  myself  so  irreverently,  your  theory  might  turn  out 
to  be  true ;  but  not  so  under  actual  circumstances.  Here  is 
a  young  lady  in  her  nineteenth  year,  who  knows  she  is  not 
only  sought,  but  has  long  been  sought,  ay  warmly,  ardently 
sought,  by  two  reasonably  unobjectionable  young  men,  placed 
in  the  very  situation  to  have  all  her  sensibilities  excited,  by 
one  or  the  other,  and,  depend  on  it,  the  matter  will  be  deter 
mined  within  this  blessed  week.  If  I  should  prove  to  be  the 
fortunate  man,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  manifest  a  generous  sym 
pathy;  and,  vice  versa,  I  shall  expect  the  same.  Though 
this  sad,  sad  business  before  Ty  has  been  a  good  prepara 
tive  for  humiliation." 

I  could  not  -avoid  smiling  at  Bulstrode's  singular  views 
of  our  suit ;  but,  as  Anneke  was  ever  with  me  an  engross 
ing  theme,  spite  of  our  situation,  which  certainly  was  not 
particularly  appropriate  to  love,  I  did  not  feel  equal  to  quit 
ting  it  abruptly.  The  matter  was  consequently  pursued. 
As  I  asked  Bulstrode  to  explain  himself,  I  got  from  him  the 
following  account  of  his  theory. 

"  Why,  I  reason  in  this  wise,  Corny.  Anneke  loves  one 
of  us  two,  beyond  all  question.  That  she  loves,  I  will 
swear ;  her  blushes,  her  beaming  eyes,  even  her  beauty  is 
replete  with  the  loveliness  of  the  sentiment.  Now,  it  is  not 
possible  that  she  should  love  any  other  person  than  one  of 
us  two,  for  the  simple  reason  that  she  has  no  other  suitor. 
I  shall  be  frank  with  you,  and  confess  that  I  think  I  am  the 
favoured  fellow,  while,  I  dare  say,  you  are  just  as  sanguine 
and  think  it  is  yourself." 

"  I  give  you  my  honour,  Major  Bulstrode,  so  presuming, 
so  improper  a  thought  has  never " 

"  Yes,  yes — I  understand  all  that.  You  are  not  worthy 
of  Anne  Mordaunt's  love,  and  therefore  have  never  pre 
sumed  to  imagine  that  she  could  bestow  it  on  such  a  poor, 
miserable,  worthless,  good-for-nothing  a  fellow  as  yourself. 
I  have  a  great  deal  of  the  same  very  proper  feeling ;  but,  at 
the  same  time,  each  of  us  is  quite  confident  of  his  own  suc 
cess,  or  he  would  have  given  up  the  pursuit  long  since." 

"  I  do  assure  you,  Bulstrode,  anything  but  confidence 


SATANSTOE.  409 

mingles  with  my  feelings  on  this  subject.  You  may  have 
reasons  for  your  own  security,  but  I  can  boast  of  none." 

"  I  have  no  other  than  self-love,  of  which  every  man  has 
a  just  portion  for  his  own  comfort  and  peace  of  mind.  I 
say  that  hope  is  indispensable  to  love,  and  hope  is  allied  to 
confidence.  My  reasoning  on  these  points  is  very  simple. 
And,  now  for  the  peculiar  advantages  we  enjoy  for  bringing 
matters  to  a  crisis.  In  the  first  place,  I  am  hurt,  you  will 
understand  ;  suffering  under  an  honourable  wound,  received 
in  open  battle,  fighting  for  king  and  country.  Then,  I 
have  been  brought  fresh  from  the  field,  on  my  litter,  into 
the  presence  of  my  mistress,  bearing  on  my  person  the  evi 
dence  of  my  risk,  and,  I  hope,  of  my  good  conduct.  There 
is  not  one  woman  in  a  thousand,  if  she  hesitated  between 
us,  that  would  not  decide  in  my  favour,  on  these  grounds 
alone.  You  have  no  notion,  Corny,  how  the  hearts  of  these 
sweet,  gentle,  devoted,  generous  little  American  girls  melt  to 
sympathy,  and  the  sufferings  of  a  poor  wretch  that  they 
know  adores  them  !  Make  a  nurse  of  a  female,  and  she  is 
yours,  nine  times  out  of  ten.  This  has  been  a  master-stroke 
of  mine,  but  I  hope  you  will  pardon  it.  Stratagems  are 
excusable  in  love,  as  in  war." 

"  I  have  no  difficulty  in  understanding  your  policy,  Bui- 
strode  ;  though  I  confess  to  some  in  understanding  your 
frankness.  Such  as  it  is,  however,  I  trust  you  feel  certain 
it  will  not  be  abused.  Now,  as  to  my  situation,  what  pe 
culiar  countervailing  advantages  do  I  enjoy?" 

"  Those  of  a  defender.  Oh,  that  is  a  battering-ram  of 
itself!  This  confounded  assault  on  the  settlement,  which 
they  tell  me  is  rather  serious,  and  may  keep  alive  appre 
hensions  for  some  days  yet,  is  a  most  unlucky  thing  for  me, 
while  it  is  of  great  advantage  to  you.  A  wounded  man 
cannot  excite  one-half  the  interest  he  otherwise  might,  when 
there  is  a  chance  that  others  may  be  slain,  every  minute. 
Then,  the  character  of  a  defender  is  a  great  deal ;  and 
being  a  generous  rival,  as  I  have  always  told  you,  Corny, 
my  advice  is  to  make  the  most  of  it.  I  conceal  nothing, 
and  intend  to  do  all  I  can  with  my  wound." 

It  was  scarcely  possible  noi  to  laugh  at  this  strangely 
frank,  yet,  I  fully  believe,  strangely  sincere  communication ; 
for  Bulstrode  was  a  humorist,  with  all  his  conventionalism 
35 


410  SATANSTOE, 

and  London  notions,  and  was  more  addicted  to  saying  pre 
cisely  what  he  thought,  than  is  common  with  men  .of  his 
class.  After  sitting  and  chatting  with  him  half  an  hour 
longer,  on  the  subject  of  the  late  military  operations,  of 
which  he  spoke  with  both  feeling  and  good  sense,  1  took  my 
leave  for  the  night. 

"  God  bless  you,  Corny,"  he  said,  squeezing  my  hand, 
as  I  left  him ;  "  improve  the  opportunity  in  your  own  way, 
for  I  assure  you  I  shall  do  it  in  mine.  It  is  present  valour 
against  past  valour.  If  it  were  not  my  own  case  that  is 
concerned,  there  is  not  a  man  living  to  whom  I  should  more 
freely  wish  success." 

And  I  believe  Bulstrode  did  not  exceed  the  truth  in  his 
declarations.  That  I  should  succeed  with  Anneke,  he  did 
not  think,  as  was  apparent  to  me  by  his  general  manner, 
and  the  consciousness  he  must  have  possessed  of  his  own 
advantages  in  the  way  of  rank  and  fortune,  as  well  as  in 
haying  Herman  Mordaunt's  good  wishes.  Oddly  enough,  in 
quitting  my  rival,  and  under  circumstances  so  very  peculiar,  I 
was  accidentally  thrown  into  the  presence  of  my  mistress,  and 
that,  too,  alone  !  Anneke  was  the  sole  occupant  of  the  little 
room  in  which  the  girls  habitually  staid,  when  I  returned  to 
it ;  Guert  having  managed  to  induce  Mary  Wallace  to  walk 
with  him  in  the  court,  the  only  place  the  ladies  now  pos 
sessed  $for  exercise;  while  Herman  Mordaunt,  Mr.  Women, 
and  Dirck,  were  together  in  the  public-room,  making  some 
arrangement  with  the  confused  body  of  the  settlers,  who  had 
crowded  into  the  Nest,  for  the  night-watch.  I  shall  not  stop 
to  express  the  delight  T  felt  at  finding  Anneke  there ;  nor  was 
it  in  any  degree  diminished,  as  I  met  the  soft  expression  of 
her  sweet  eyes,  and  saw  the  blushes  that  suffused  her  cheek. 
The  conversation  I  had  ju  held,  doubtless,  had  its  effect ; 
for  I  determined,  at  once,  that  so  favourable  an  occasion  for 
pressing  my  suit  should  not  be  lo  t.  I  was  goaded  on,  if  the 
truth  must  be  told,  by  apprehension  of  Bulstrode's  wound. 

What  I  said  precisely,  in  the  commencement  of  ihat  in- 
terview,  is  more  than  I  could  record,  did  I  think  it  would 
redound  to  my  advantage,  as  I  fear  it  would  not ;  but  I  made 
myself  understood,  which  is  more,  I  fancy,  than  happens  to 
all  lovers  in  such  scenes.  At  first  I  was  coufesed  and  a 
little  incoherent,  I  suspect ;  but  feeling  so  far  got  the  better 


SATANSTOE.  411 

of  these  defects,  as  to  enable  me  to  utter  what  I  wished  to 
express.  Towards  the  end,  if  I  spoke  in  the  least  as  warmly 
and  distinctly  as  I  felt,  there  must  have  been  some  slight 
touch  of  eloquence  about  my  manner  and  language.  This 
being  the  first  occasion,  too,  on  which  I  had  ever  had  an 
opportunity  of  urging  my  suit  very  directly,  there  was  so 
much  to  be  said,  so  many  things  to  be  explained,  and  so 
many  seemingly  slighted  occasions  to  account  for,  that  An- 
neke  had  little  else  to  do,  for  the  first  ten  minutes,  but  to  listen. 
I  have  always  ascribed  the  self-possession  which  my  com 
panion  was  enabled  to  command  during  the  remainder  of 
this  interview,  to  the  time  that  was  thus  accorded  her  to  rally 
her  thoughts. 

Dear,  precious  Anneke  !  How  admirably  did  she  behave 
that  memorable  night !  It  was  certainly  an  extraordinary 
situation  in  which  to  speak  of  love ;  yet,  I  much  question 
if  the  feelings  be  not  more  likely  to  be  true  and  natural  at 
such  times,  than  when  circumstances  admit  of  more  of  the 
expedients  of  every-day  life.  I  could  see  that  my  sweet 
listener  was  touched,  from  the  moment  I  commenced,  and 
that  her  countenance  betrayed  a  tender  interest  in  what  I 
said.  Presuming  on  this,  or  encouraged  by  her  blushes  and 
her  downcast  eyes,  I  ventured  to  take  a  hand,  and  perceived  I 
was  not  repulsed.  Then  it  was  that  I  found  words,  that 
actually  brought  tears  to  my  companion's  eyes,  and  Anneke 
was  enabled  to  answer  me. 

"  This  is  so  unusual  —  so  extraordinary  a  time  to  speak 
of  such  things,  Corny,"  she  said,  "  that  I  hardly  know  what 
ought  to  be  my  reply.  Of  one  thing,  however,  I  feel  cer 
tain  ;  persons  surrounded  as  we  are  by  dangers  that  may, 
at  any  instant,  involve  our  destruction,  have  an  unusual  de 
mand  on  them  for  sincerity.  Affectation,  I  hope,  I  am  never 
much  addicted  to,  and  prudery  I  know  you  would  condemn. 
I  have  a  feeling  uppermost,  at  this  instant,  that  I  wish  to 
express,  yet  scarce  know  how — " 

"  Do  not  suppress  it,  beloved  Anneke ;  be  as  generous  as 
I  am  certnin  you  are  sincere." 

"Corny,  it  is  this.  I  know  we  are  in  danger  —  very 
great  danger  of  being  overcome;  captured,  perhaps  slain, 
by  the  ruthless  beings  who  are  prowling  around  our  dwell 
ing,  and  that  no  one  in  this  house  can  count  on  a  single  day 


412  SATANSTOE. 

of  existence  even  with  the  ordinary  vain  security  of  man. 
Now,  should  anything  befall  you,  after  this,  and  I  survive 
you,  I  should  survive  for  the  remainder  of  my  days  to  mourn 
your  loss,  and  to  feel  the  keenest  regrets  that  I  had  hesitated 
to  own  how  much  interest  I  have  long  felt  in  you,  and  how 
happy  I  have  been  with  the  consciousness  of  the  preference 
that  you  so  frankly  and  honestly  avowed  in  my  favour, 
months  ago." 

As  the  tears,  as  well  as  blushes  of  Anneke,  accompanied 
these  admissions,  it  was  not  possible  for  me  to  doubt  what  I 
heard.  From  that  moment,  a  world  of  confidence,  and  a 
flow  of  pure,  sweet,  strong,  natural  feeling,  bound  us  more 
and  more  closely  together.  Guert  was  in  a  happy  mood  to 
detain  Mary  Wallace,  and  business  greatly  befriended  me, 
as  respected  the  others.  More  than  an  hour  had  I  Anne 
Mordaunt  all  to  myself;  and  when  the  heart  is  open,  how 
much  can  be  uttered  and  understood,  on  such  a  subject  as 
love,  in  an  hour  of  unreserved  confidence,  and  of  strong 
feeling !  Anneke  admitted  to  me,  before  we  separated,  that 
she  had  often  thought  of  the  chivalrous  boy,  who  had  volun 
teered  to  do  battle  in  her  behalf,  when  she  was  little  more 
than  a  child  herself,  and  thought  of  him  as  a  generous- 
minded  girl  would  be  apt  to  think  of  a  lad,  under  the  cir 
cumstances.  This  very  early  preference  had  been  much 
quickened  and  increased  by  the  affair  of  the  lion,  and  our 
subsequent  intercourse.  Bulstrode,  that  formidable,  encou 
raged  rival,  encouraged  by  her  father  if  not  by  herself,  had 
never  interested  her  in  the  least,  beyond  the  feeling  natural 
to  the  affinity  of  blood ;  and  I  might  have  spared  myself 
many  hours  of  anxious  concern,  on  his  account,  could  I 
only  have  seen  what  was  now  so  unreservedly  told  to  me. 
Poor  Bulstrode !  a  feeling  of  commiseration  came  over  me, 
as  I  listened  to  my  companion's  assurances  that  he  had 
never  in  the  least  touched  her  heart,  while,  at  the  same  time, 
blushing  very  red,  she  confessed  my  own  power  over  it. 
An  expression  to  this  effect  even  escaped  her  aloud — 

"  Have  no  concern  on  Mr.  Bulstrode's  account,  Corny," 
Anneke  answered,  smiling  archly,  like  one  who  had  well 
weighed  the  pros  and  cons  of  the  whole  subject,  in  her  own 
mind  ;  "  he  m.iy  be  a  little  mortified,  but  his  fancy  will  soon 
be  forgotten  in  rejoicing  that  he  had  not  yielded  to  a  passing 


SATANSTOE.  413 

inclination,  and  connected  himself  with  a  young,  inexpe- 
rienced  American  girl,  who  is  hardly  suited  to  move  in  the 
circles  in  which  his  wife  must  live  —  I  do  believe  Mr.  Bui- 
strode  prefers  me,  just  now,  to  any  other  female  he  may 
lappen  to  know  ;  but  his  attachment,  if  it  deserve  the  name, 
has  not  the  heart  in  it,  dear  Corny,  that  I  know  is  to  be 
found  in  your's.  We  women  are  said  to  be  quick  in  disco 
vering  when  we  are  really  loved,  and  I  confess  that  my 
own  little  experience  inclines  me  to  believe  that  the  remark 
does  us  no  more  than  justice." 

I  then  spoke  of  Guert,  and  expressed  a  hope  that  his  sin 
cere,  obvious,  manly  devotion,  might  finally  touch  her  heart, 
and  that  my  new  friend,  towards  whom,  however,  I  began 
already  to  feel  as  towards  an  old  friend,  might  finally  meet 
with  a  return  for  a  passion  that  I  was  persuaded  was  as 
deep  and  as  sincere  as  my  own ;  a  comparison  that  I  felt 
was  as  strong  as  any  I  could  make  in  Guert's  behalf. 

"  On  this  subject,  you  are  not  to  expect  me  to  say  much, 
Corny,"  answered  Anneke,  smiling.  "  Every  woman  is  the 
mistress  of  her  own  secrets  on  such  a  subject ;  and,  did  I 
know  fully  Mary  Wallace's  mind  or  wishes  in  reference  to 
Mr.  Ten  Eyck,  as  I  do  not  profess  to  know  either,  I  should 
not  feel  at  liberty  to  betray  her,  even  to  you.  I  have  no 
longer  any  secret  of  my  own,  as  respects  Corny  Littlepage, 
but  must  not  be  expected  to  be  as  weak  in  betraying  my 
whole  sex,  as  I  have  been  in  betraying  myself!" 

I  was  obliged  to  be  satisfied  with  this  sweet  admission 
and  with  the  knowledge  that  I  had  been  long  loved.  When 
Anneke  left  me,  which,  at  the  expiration  of  more  than  an 
hour,  she  insisted  on  doing,  under  the  consciousness  of  all 
that  had  passed  between  us,  I  had  a  good  deal  of  difficulty 
in  believing  that  I  was  not  dreaming.  This  ecclaircissement 
was  so  sudden,  so  totally  unexpected  I  fancy  to  us  both, 
that  well  might  it  so  seem  to  either ;  yet,  I  fancy  we  did  not 
part  without  a  deep  conviction  that  both  were  happier  than 
when  we  met.  I  solemnly  declare,  notwithstanding,  that  I  felt 
sorrow,  almost  regret,  on  behalf  of  Bulstrode.  The  poor 
fellow  had  been  so  evidently  confident  of  success,  only  an 
hour  or  two  before,  that  I  could  not  have  acquainted  him 
with  my  own  success,  had  he  been  up,  and  able  to  prefer 
35* 


414  SATANSTOE. 

his  own  suit ;  in  his  actual  situation,  such  a  procedure  would 
have  appeared  brutal. 

As  for  Guert  Ten  Eyck,  he  rejoined  me  sadder  and  more 
despairing  than  ever. 

"  It  struck  me,  Corny,  that  if  Mary  Wallace  had  the 
smallest  inclination  in  my  behalf,  she  would  manifest  it  at  a 
moment  when  we  may  all  be  said  to  be  hanging  between  life 
and  deat'.  I  have  often  heard  it  said  that  the  woman  who 
would  trifle  with  a  young  fellow  at  a  ball,  or  on  a  sleigh- 
ride,  and  use  him  like  a  dog,  while  every  one  was  laughing 
and  making  merry,  would  come  round  like  one  of  the  wea 
ther-cocks  on  our  Dutch  barns,  at  a  shift  of  the  wind,  the 
instant  that  distress  or  unhappiness  alighted  on  her  suitor. 
In  other  worts,  that  the  very  girl  who  would  be  capricious 
and  uncertain,  in  happiness  and  prosperity,  would  suddenly 
become  tender  and  truthful,  as  soon  as  sorrow  touched  the 
man  who  wished  to  have  her.  On  the  strength  of  this,  then, 
I  thought  I  would  urge  Mary,  to  the  best  of  my  poor  abili 
ties,  and  you  know  they  are  no  great  matter,  Corny,  to  give 
me  only  a  glimmering  of  hope ;  but  without  success.  Not  a 
syllable  more  could  I  get  out  of  her  than  that  the  time  was 
unseasonable  to  talk  of  such  things;  and  I  do  think  I  should 
be  ready  to  go  and  meet  these  Huron  devils,  hand  to  hand, 
were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  the  very  girl  who  thus  remon 
strated,  staid  with  me  quite  two  hours,  listening  to  what  I 
had  to  say,  though  I  spoke  of  nothing  else.  There  was  a 
crumb  of  comfort  in  that,  lad,  or  I  do  not  understand  human 
nature." 

There  was,  truly.  Still,  I  could  not  but  compare  Anne 
Mordaunt's  generous  confessions,  under  the  influence  of  the 
same  facts,  and  fancy  that  the  prospects  of  the  simple- 
minded,  warm-hearted,  manly  young  Albanian,  were  far  less 
flattering  than  my  own. 


SATANSTOE.  415 


CHAPTEE  XXYIII. 

«  Between  two  worlds  life  hovers  like  a  star, 
'Twixt  night  and  morn,  upon  the  horizon's  verge: 
How  little  do  we  know  that  which  we  are  ! 
How  less  what  we  may  be !     The  eternal  surge 
Of  time  and  tide  rolls  on,  and  bears  afar 
Our  bubbles  :  as  the  old  burst,  new  emerge, 
Lashed  from  the  foam  of  ages ;  while  the  graves 
Of  empires  heave  but  like  some  passing  wave. 

BYRON. 

IT  was  now  announced  by  Herman  Mordaunt  in  person, 
that  the  watch  was  set  for  the  night,  and  that  each  man 
might  seek  his  rest.  The  crowded  state  of  the  Nest  was 
such,  as  to  render  it  no  easy  matter  to  find  a  place  in  which 
to  sleep,  straw  being  our  only  beds*.  At  length  we  found  our 
pallets,  such  as  they  were;  and,  spite  of  all  that  had  passed 
that  evening,  truth  compels  me  to  admit  that  I  was  soon  in 
a  profound  sleep.  There  was  no  exception  to  this  rule 
among  the  Mooseridge  party,  I  believe,  fatigue  proving  to 
to  be  more  powerful,  than  either  successful  love,  unsuccessful 
love,  or  personal  apprehension. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock,  when  I  felt  a  significant  pres 
sure  of  the  arm,  such  as  one  gives  when  he  especially 
wishes  to  attract  attention.  It  was  Jason  Newcome,  em 
ployed  in  awakening  the  men  of  the  house,  without  giving 
such  an  alarm  as  might  reach  the  ears  without.  In  a  few 
minutes  everybody  was  up  and  armed. 

As  the  morning,  just  before  the  appearance  of  light,  when 
sleep  is  heaviest,  is  the  hour  when  savages  usually  attack,  no 
one  was  surprised  at  these  preparations,  which  were  under 
stood  to  be  ordered  by  Herman  Mordaunt,  who  was  afoot, 
and  on  the  look-out  himself,  at  a  place  favourable  to  obser 
vation.  In  the  mean  time,  we  men,  three  or  four-and-twenty 
in  all,  assembled  in  the  court,  in  waiting  for  a  summons  to 
the  gate,  or  the  loop.  Jason  had  executed  his  trust  so  dex 
terously,  that  neither  female  nor  child  knew  anything  of 
our  movement ;  all  sleeping,  or  seeming  to  sleep  in  the  se 
curity  of  a  peaceful  home.  I  took  an  occasion  to  compli- 


416  S  AT  AHSTOE. 

ment  the  ex-pedagogue  and  new  miller,  on  the  skill  he  had 
shown ;  and  we  fell  into  a  low  discourse,  in  consequence. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  that  this  warfare  may  put  a  new 
face  on  these  settlements,  Corny,"  continued  Jason,  after 
we  had  conversed  some  little  time,  "  more  especially  as  to 
the  titles." 

"  I  cannot  see  how  they  are  to  be  affected,  Mr.  Newcome, 
unless  the  French  should  happen  to  conquer  the  colony,  a 
thing  not  very  likely  to  happen." 

"  That 's  just  it ;  exactly  what  I  mean,  as  to  principle. 
Have  not  these  Hurons  conquered  this  particular  settlement? 
I  say  they  have.  They  are  in  possession  of  the  whull  of  it, 
this  house  excepted ;  and  it  appears  to  me  that  if  we  ever 
get  re-possession,  it  will  be  by  another  conquest.  Now, 
what  I  want  to  know  is  this — does  not  conquest  give  the 
conquerors  a  right  to  the  conquered  territory  ?  I  have  no 
books  here,  yet ;  but  I  'm  dreadful  forgetful,  or  I  have  read 
that  such  is  the  law." 

I  may  say  that  this  was  the  first  direct  demonstration  that 
Jason  ever  made  on  the  property  of  Herman  Mordaunt.  Since 
that  time  he  has  made  many  more,  some  of  which  I,  or  he  who 
may  be  called  on  to  continue  this  narrative,  will  probably 
relate ;  but  I  wish  to  record,  here,  this  as  the  first  in  a  long 
series  of  attempts  which  Jason  Newcome  has  practised,  in 
order  to  transfer  the  fee-simple  of  the  mill-lot  at  Ravens- 
nest,  from  the  ownership  of  those  in  whom  it  is  vested  by 
law,  to  that  of  his  own  humble,  but  meritorious  person. 

I  had  little  time  to  answer  this  very  singular  sort  of  rea 
soning  ;  for,  just  then,  Herman  Mordaunt  appeared  among  us, 
and  gave  us  serious  duty  to  perform.  The  explanations  with 
which  his  orders  were  preceded,  were  these.  As  had  been 
anticipated,  the  Indians  had  adopted  the  only  means  that 
could  prove  effective  against  such  a  fortress  as  the  Nest 
without  the  aid  of  artillery.  They  were  making  their  pre 
parations  to  set  the  building  on  fire,  and  had  been  busy  all 
night  in  collecting  a  large  amount  of  pine-knots,  roots,  &c., 
which  they  had  succeeded  in  piling  against  the  outer  logs, 
at  the  point  where  one  wing  touched  the  cliff,  and  where  the 
formation  of  the  ground  enabled  them  to  approach  the  build 
ing  without  incurring  much  risk.  Their  mode  of  proceeding 
is  worthy  of  being  related.  One  of  the  boldest  and  most 


SATANSTOE.  417 

skilful  of  their  number  had  crept  to  the  spot,  and  posted 
himself  so  close  to  the  logs  as  to  be  safe  from  observation, 
as  well  as  reasonably  safe  from  shot.  His  associates  had 
then  extended  to  him  one  end  of  a  long  pole,  they  standing 
below,  some  on  a  shelf  of  the  cliff,  and  the  rest  on  the 
ground  ;  all  being  safe  from  harm  so  long  as  they  kept  close 
to  their  respective  covers.  Thus  disposed,  these  children  of 
the  forest  passed  hours  in  patient  toil,  in  forwarding  by 
means  of  a  basket,  the  knots,  and  other  combustibles,  up  to 
the  warrior,  who  kept  his  position  close  under  the  building, 
and  who  piled  them  in  the  way  most  favourable  to  his  object. 

Susquesus  had  the  merit  of  discovering  the  projected  at 
tempt,  the  arrangements  for  which  had  completely  escaped 
the  vigilance  of  the  sentinels.  It  would  seem  thai  the  Onon- 
dago,  aware  of  the  artifices  of  the  red-man,  and  acquainted 
in  particular  with  the  personal  character  of  Jaap's  friend, 
Muss,  did  not  believe  the  night  would  go  by  without  some 
serious  attempt  on  the  house.  The  side  of  the  cliff  was 
much  the  weakest  point  of  the  fortress,  having  no  other 
protection  than  the  natural  obstacles  of  the  rocks,  which 
were  not  inaccessible,  though  somewhat  difficult  of  ascent, 
and  the  low  picketing,  already  mentioned.  Under  such 
circumstances,  the  Indian  felt  certain  the  assault  would  be 
made  on  that  side.  Placing  himself  on  watch,  therefore,  he 
discovered  the  first  attempts  of  the  Hurons,  but  did  not  let 
them  be  known  to  Herman  Mordaunt,  until  they  were 
nearly  completed  ;  his  reason  for  the  delay  being  the  impa 
tience  of  the  pale-faces,  which  would  not  have  suffered  the 
enemy  to  accomplish  his  object,  so  far  as  preparations  were 
concerned;  the  thing  of  all  others  he  himself  thought  to  be 
the  most  desirable.  By  allowing  the  Hurons  to  waste  their 
time  and  strength  in  making  arrangements  for  an  assault  that 
was  foreseen,  and  which  might  be  met  and  defeated,  a  great 
advantage  was  obtained  ;  whereas,  by  driving  them  prema 
turely  from  an  artifice  they  were  known  to  be  engaged  in, 
they  would  have  recourse  to  another,  and  the  difficulty  of 
discovery  would  be  added  to  our  other  disadvantages.  So 
Susquesus  reasoned,  as  was  said  at  the  time  ;  and  it  is  cer 
tain  that  so  he  acted. 

But,  the  time  had  come  to  meet  these  covert  preparations 
Herman  Mordaunt  now  held  a  consultation,  on  the  subject 


418  SATANSTOE< 

of  our  proceedings.  The  question  submitted  was,  whether 
we  ought  to  let  the  Hurons  go  any  further;  whether  we 
should  shoot  the  adventurous  savage  who  was  known  still 
to  be  posted  under  the  logs  of  the  house,  and  scatter  his  pile 
of  knots,  by  a  sortie ;  or,  whether  it  were  wiser  to  let  the 
enemy  proceed  to  the  extremity  of  actually  lighting  his  fire, 
before  we  unmasked.  Something  was  to  be  said  in  favour 
of  each  plan.  By  shooting  the  savage  who  had  made  a 
lodgment  under  our  walls,  and  scattering  his  pile,  we  should 
unquestionably  defeat  the  present  attempt ;  but,  in  all  pro 
bability,  another  would  be  made  the  succeeding  night; 
whereas,  by  waiting  to  the  last  moment,  such  an  effectual 
repulse  might  be  given  to  our  foes,  as  would  at  once  termi 
nate  their  expedition. 

On  consultation,  and  weighing  all  the  points  as  they 
offered,  it  was  decided  to  adopt  the  latter  policy.  But  one 
spot  commanded  a  view  of  the  pile  at  all,  and  that  was  a 
loop,  that  had  been  cut  only  the  day  before,  and  which 
looked  directly  down  on  the  place,  from  a  projection  that 
existed  in  the  second  story,  and  which  ran  around  the  whole 
building.  These  projections  were  common  enough,  in  the 
architecture  of  the  provinces  at  that  day,  being  often  adopted 
in  exposed  positions,  purposely  to  afford  the  means  of  pro 
tecting  the  inferior  and  external  portions  of  the  dwellings. 
The  Nest  possessed  this  advantage,  though  the  loops  neces 
sary  to  complete  the  arrangement,  had  only  quite  recently 
been  cut.  At  this  loop,  then,  I  stationed  myself,  for  a  short 
time,  watching  what  was  going  on  below.  The  night  was 
dark,  but  there  was  no  difficulty  in  distinguishing  the  pile 
of  knots,  which  to  me  seemed  several  feet  high,  besides 
being  of  some  length,  or  in  noting  the  movements  of  the 
Indian  who  had  built  it.  At  the  moment  I  took  my  stand 
at  the  loop,  this  man  was  actually  engaged  in  setting  fire 
to  his  combustibles. 

For  several  minutes  Guert  and  I  watched  our  enemy 
while  he  was  thus  employed,  for  the  Huron  was  obliged  to 
proceed  with  the  utmost  caution,  lest  a  light  prematurely 
shed  around  should  betray  him.  He  cautiously  lighted  his 
knots  quite  within  the  pile,  having  left  a  place  for  that  pur 
pose;  and  his  combustibles  were  well  in  flames  before  the 
latter  began  to  throw  their  rays  to  any  distance.  We  had  a 


SATANSTOE.  419 

quantity  of  water  provided  in  the  room  from  which  we  be 
held  all  these  movements,  and  might  at  any  time  have  ex 
tinguished  the  fire,  by  pouring  a  stream  through  our  loop, 
provided  we  did  not  wait  too  long.  But  Guert  objected  to 
*  spoiling  the  sport,'  as  he  called  it,  insisting  that  the  logs 
of  the  house  would  be  slow  to  ignite,  and  that  we  might  at 
any  moment  scatter  the  knots,  by  a  rapid  sortie.  His  wish 
was  to  let  the  enemy  proceed  in  his  designs,  as  far  as  would 
be  at  all  safe,  in  order  to  render  his  defeat  more  overwhelm 
ing. 

Owing  to  our  position,  directly  over  his  head,  we  had  no 
chance  to  see  the  face  of  the  incendiary  while  he  was  thus 
engaged.  At  length  he  cast  a  glance  upward,  as  if  to  note 
the  effect  of  the  flames,  which  were  beginning  to  throw  their 
forked  tongues  above  the  pile,  when  we  both  recognised 
Jaap's  prisoner,  Muss.  The  sight  proved  too  much  for 
Guert's  philosophy,  and  thrusting  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle 
through  the  loop,  he  blazed  away  at  him,  without  much  re 
gard  to  aim.  This  report  was  a  sort  of  signal  for  action, 
the  whole  house,  and  all  the  outer  world  appearing  to  be  in 
a  clamour  in  an  instant.  I  had  no  means  of  seeing  Muss, 
but  some  of  our  look-outs,  who  had  him  in  view  most  of  the 
time,  told  me,  after  all  was  over,  that  the  fellow  seemed 
much  astonished  at  the  suddenness  of  this  assault ;  that  he 
gazed  up  at  the  loop  an  instant,  uttered  a  loud  exclamation, 
then  yelled  the  war-whoop  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and  went 
bounding  off  into  the  darkness,  like  a  buck  put  up  unex 
pectedly  from  his  lair.  The  fields  all  around  the  Nest 
seemed  to  be  alive  with  whooping  demons.  Herman  Mor- 
daunt  had  done  little  towards  embellishing  the  place;  ana 
stumps  were  standing  in  hundreds  all  about  it,  many  having 
been  left  within  twenty  yards  of  the  buildings.  It  now 
seemed  as  if  every  one  of  these  stumps  had  an  Indian  war 
rior  lodged  behind  it,  while  bands  of  them  appeared  to  be 
leaping  about  in  the  gloom,  under  the  rocks.  At  one  time, 
I  fancied  we  must  be  surrounded  by  hundreds  of  these  ruth 
less  foes,  though  I  now  suppose  that  their  numbers  were 
magnified  by  their  activity  and  their  infernal  yells.  They 
manifested  no  intention  to  attack,  nevertheless,  but  kept 
screaming  around  us  in  all  directions,  occasionally  dis- 


420  SATANSTOE. 

charging  a  rifle,  but,  as  a  whole,  waiting  the  moment  when 
the  flames  should  have  done  their  work. 

Considering  the  fearful  circumstances  in  which  he  was 
placed,  Herman  Mordaunt  was  wonderfully  collected.  For 
myself,  I  felt  as  if  I  had  fifty  lives  to  lose,  Anneke  being 
uppermost  in  my  thoughts.  The  females,  however,  behaved 
uncommonly  well ;  making  no  noise,  and  using  all  the  self- 
command  they  could  assume,  in  order  not  to  distract  the 
exertions  of  their  husbands  and  friends.  Some  of  the  wives 
of  the  sturdy  settlers,  indeed,  actually  exhibited  a  species 
of  stern  courage  that  would  have  done  credit  to  soldiers ; 
appearing  in  the  court,  armed,  and  otherwise  rendering 
themselves  useful.  It  often  happened  that  women  of  this 
class,  by  practising  on  deer,  and  wolves,  and  bears,  got  to 
be  reasonably  expert  with  fire-arms,  and  did  good  service 
in  attacks  on  their  dwellings.  I  remarked,  in  all  the  com 
moner  class  of  females,  that  night,  a  sort  of  fierce  hostility 
to  their  savage  foes,  in  whom  they  doubtless  saw  only  the 
murderers  of  children,  and  wretches  who  made  no  distinc 
tion  of  sex  or  age,  in  pursuing  their  heartless  warfare. 
Many  of  them  appeared  like  the  dams  of  the  inferior  ani 
mals  when  their  young  were  in  danger. 

An  interval  of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  must  have  occurred 
between  the  moment  when  Guert  discharged  his  rifle  and 
that  in  which  the  battle  really  began.  All  this  time  the  fire 
was  gathering  head,  our  tardy  attempts  to  extinguish  it 
proving  a  complete  failure.  But  little  apprehension  was  felt 
on  this  account,  however,  the  flames  proving  an  advantage, 
by  casting  their  light  far  into  the  fields,  and  even  below  The 
rocks,  while  they  did  not  reach  the  court  at  all ;  thus  placing 
a  portion  of  the  enemy,  should  they  venture  to  attack,  under 
a  bright  light,  while  it  left  us  in  darkness.  The  only  point, 
however,  at  which  we  could  fear  a  serious  assault,  was  on 
the  side  of  the  rocks,  where  the  court  had  no  other  protec 
tion  than  the  low,  but  close  and  tolerably  strong  picket. 
Fortunately,  the  formation  of  the  ground  on  that  side  pre 
vented  one  who  stood  on  the  meadows  below  from  firing  into 
the  court  from  any  point  within  the  ordinary  range  of  the 
rifle.  It  was  this  circumstance  that  had  determined  the  site 
of  the  garrison. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things  when  Anneke's  own  giri 


3ATANSTOE. 

came  to  ask  me  to  go  to  her  mistress,  if  it  were  possible  for 
me  to  quit  my  station,  were  it  only  for  a  minute.  Having 
no  particular  duty  to  perform,  there  was  no  impropriety  in 
complying  with  a  request  which,  in  itself,  was  every  way  so 
grateful  to  my  feelings.  Guert  was  near  me  at  the  time, 
and  heard  what  the  young  negress  said ;  this  induced  him  to 
inquire  if  there  was  no  message  for  himself;  but,  even  at 
that  serious  moment,  Mary  Wallace  did  not  relent.  She 
had  been  kinder  than  common  in  manner,  the  previous 
night,  as  the  Albanian  had  admitted ;  but,  at  the  same  time, 
she  had  appeared  to  distrust  her  own  resolution  so  much,  us 
even  to  give  less  direct  encouragement  than  had  actually 
escaped  her  on  previous  occasions. 

I  found  Annekc  expecting  me  in  that  little  parlour  where 
I  had  so  recently  listened  to  her  sweet  confessions  of  tender 
ness  the  evening  before.  She  was  alone,  the  instinct  of  her 
sex  teaching  her  the  expediency  of  having  no  witness  of  the 
feelings  and  language  that  might  escape  two  hearts  that 
were  united  as  were  ours,  under  circumstances  so  trying. 
The  dear  girl  was  pale  as  death  when  I  entered ;  she  had 
doubtless  been  thinking  of  the  approaching  conflict,  and  of 
what  might  be  its  frightful  consequences ;  but,  my  presence 
instantly  caused  her  face  to  be  suffused  with  blushes,  it  be 
ing  impossible  for  her  sensitive  mind  not  to  revert  to  what 
had  so  lately  occurred.  This  truth  to  the  instinctive  princi 
ple  of  her  nature  could  hardly  be  extinguished  in  woman, 
even  at  the  stake  itself.  Notwithstanding  the  liveliness  and 
varying  character  of  her  feelings,  Anneke  was  the  first  to 
speak. 

"  I  have  sent  for  you,  Corny,"  she  said,  laying  a  hand  on 
her  heart,  as  if  to  quiet  its  throbbings,  "  to  say  one  word  in 
the  way  of  caution — I  hope  it  is  not  wrong." 

"  You  can  do  nothing  wrong,  beloved  Anneke,"  I  an 
swered  ;  "  or,  nothing  that  would  seem  so  in  my  eyes.  Be 
not  thus  agitated.  Your  fears  have  increased  the  danger, 
which  we  consider  as  trifling.  The  risks  Guert,  Dirck,  and 
myself  have  already  run,  are  tenfold  those  which  now  beset 
us." 

The  dear  girl  submitted  to  have  an  arm  of  mine  passed 
around  her  waist,  when  her  head  dropped  on  my  breast, 
and  she  burst  into  tears.  Enabled  by  this  relief  to  command 
36 


422  8ATANSTOE. 

her  feelings  a  little,  it  was  not  long  ere  Anneke  raised  herself 
from  the  endearing  embrace  I  felt  impelled  to  give  her, 
though  still  permitting  me  to  hold  both  her  hands ;  arid  she 
looked  up  into  my  face,  with  the  full  confidence  of  affection, 
renewing  the  discourse. 

"  I  could  not  suffer  you  to  engage  in  this  terrible  scene, 
Corny,"  she  said,  without  one  word,  one  look,  one  sign  of 
the  interest  I  feel  in  you.  My  dear,  dear  father  has  heard 
all ;  and,  though  disappointed,  he  does  not  disapprove.  You 
know  how  warmly  he  has  wished  Mr.  Bulstrode  for  a  son, 
and  can  excuse  that  preference ;  but  he  desired  me,  not  ten 
minutes  since,  as  he  left,  me,  after  giving  me  a  kiss  and  his 
blessing,  to  send  for  you,  and  to  say  that  he  shall  hereafter 
look  upon  you  as  my  and  his  choice.  Heaven  alone  knows 
whether  we  are  to  be  permitted  to  meet  again,  dear  Corny; 
but,  should  that  never  be  granted  us,  I  feel  it  will  relieve 
your  mind  to  know  that  we  shall  meet  as  the  members  of 
one  family." 

"  We  are  the  only  children  of  our  parents,  Anneke,  and 
our  union  will  gladden  their  hearts  almost  as  much  as  it  can 
gladden  our  own." 

*'  I  have  thought  of  this,  already.  I  shall  have  a  mother, 
now  ;  a  blessing  I  hardly  ever  knew  !" 

"And  one  that  will  dearly,  dearly  love  you,  as  I  know 
by  her  own  opinions,  again  and  again  expressed  in  my  pre 
sence." 

"  Thank  you,  Corny— and  thanks  to  that  respected  parent, 
too.  Now,  go,  Corny  ;  I  am  fearful  this  selfish  gratification 
only  adds  to  the  danger  of  the  house — go ;  I  will  pray  for 
your  safety." 

"  One  word,  dearest ; — poor  Guert ! — You  cannot  know 
how  disappointed  he  is,  that  I  alone  should  be  summoned 
here,  at  such  a  moment." 

Anneke  seemed  thoughtful,  and  it  struck  me  she  was  a 
little  distressed. 

"  What  can  I  do  to  alter  this?"  she  said,  after  a  short 
pause.  "A  woman's  judgment  and  her  feelings  may  not 
impel  her  the  same  way ;  then  Mary  Wallace  is  a  girl  who 
appreciates  propriety  so  highly  !" 

"  I  understand  you,  Anneke.  But,  Guert  is  of  so  noble 
a  disposition,  and  acknowledges  all  his  defects  so  meekly, 


8ATANSTOE.  423 

and  with  so  much  candour !  Man  cannot  love  woman  bet 
ter  than  he  loves  Mary  Wallace.  Her  extreme  prudence  is 
a  virtue,  in  his  eyes,  even  while  he  suffers  by  it." 

"  I  cannot  change  Mary  Wallace's  nature,  Corny,"  said 
Anneke,  smiling  sadly,  and,  as  I  fancied,  in  a  way  that  said 
«  were  it  I,  the  virtues  of  Guert  should  soon  outweigh  his 
defects ;'  "  but  Mary  will  be  Mary,  and  we  must  submit. 
Perhaps  to-morrow  may  bring  her  wavering  mind  to  some 
thing  like  decision  ;  for  these  late  events  have  proved  greatly 
Mr.  Ten  Eyck's  friends.  But  Mary  is  an  orphan,  and  pru 
dence  has  been  taught  her  as  her  great  protection.  Now, 
go,  Corny,  lest  you  be  missed." 

The  dear  girl  parted  from  me  hurriedly,  but  not  without 
strong  manifestation  of  feeling.  I  folded  her  to  my  heart ; 
that  being  no  moment  for  affectations  or  conventional  dis 
tance  ;  and  I  know  /  was,  while  I  trusted  Anneke  might  be, 
none  the  less  happy  for  remembering  we  had  exchanged  these 
proofs  of  mutual  attachment. 

Just  as  I  reached  the  court,  I  heard  a  yell  without,  which 
my  experience  before  Ty  had  taught  me  was  the  whoop  the 
Hurons  give  when  they  attack.  A  rattling  fire  succeeded, 
and  we  were  instantly  engaged  in  a  hot  conflict.  Our  people 
fought  under  one  advantage,  which  more  than  counter 
balanced  the  disadvantage  of  their  inferiority  in  numbers. 
While  two  sides  of  the  buildings,  including  that  of  the 
meadows,  or  the  one  on  which  an  assault  could  alone  be 
successful,  were  in  bright  light,  the  court  still  remained 
sufficiently  dark  to  answer  all  the  purposes  of  defence.  We 
could  see  each  other,  but  could  not  be  distinguished  at  any 
distance.  Our  persons,  when  seen  from  without,  must 
have  been  confounded,  too,  with  the  waving  shadows  of  the 
pickets. 

As  I  approached  the  pickets,  through  the  openings  of 
which  our  people  were  already  keeping  up  a  dropping  fire 
on  the  dark-looking  demons  who  were  leaping  about  on  the 
meadows  below,  I  learned  from  Herman  Mordaunt,  himself, 
who  received  me  by  an  affectionate  squeeze  of  the  hand, 
that  a  large  body  of  the  enemy  was  collected  directly  under 
the  rocks,  and  that  Guert  had  assumed  the  duty  of  dislodg 
ing  them.  He  had  taken  with  him,  on  this  service,  Dirck, 
Jaap,  and  three  or  four  more  of  the  best  men,  including  both 


424  SATANSTOE. 

of  our  Indians.  The  manner  in  which  he  proposed  to  effect 
this  object  was  bold,  and  like  the  character  of  the  leader  of 
the  party.  As  so  much  depended  on  it,  and  on  its  success, 
1  will  explain  a  few  of  its  more  essential  details. 

The  front  of  the  house  ranged  north  and  south,  facing 
westward.  The  two  wings,  consequently,  extended  east 
and  west.  The  fire  had  been  built  at  the  verge  of  the  cliff, 
and  at  the  north-east  angle  of  the  building.  This  placed  the 
north  and  east  sides  of  the  square  in  light,  while  it  left  the 
west  and  south  in  deep  darkness.  The  gate  opening  to  the 
west,  it  was  not  a  very  hopeless  thing  to  believe  it  practi 
cable  to  lead  a  small  party  round  the  south-west  angle  of 
the  house,  to  the  verge  of  the  cliff,  where  the  formation  of 
the  ground  would  allow  of  a  volley's  being  given  upon  those 
savages  who  were  believed  to  be  making  a  lodgment  directly 
beneath  our  pickets,  with  a  view  of  seizing  a  favourable 
moment  to  scale  them.  On  this  errand,  then,  Herman  Mor- 
daunt  now  gave  me  to  understand  my  friends  had  gone. 

"  Who  guards  the  gate,  the  while  ?"  I  asked,  almost  in 
stinctively. 

"  Mr.  Worden,  and  your  old  acquaintance  and  my  new 
tenant,  Newcome.  They  are  both  armed,  for  a  parson  will 
not  only  fight  the  battles  of  the  spirit,  but  he  will  fight 
those  of  the  field,  when  concerned.  Mr.  Worden  has  shown 
himself  a  man  in  all  this  business." 

Without  replying,  I  left  Herman  Mordaunt,  and  proceed 
ed  to  the  gate  myself,  since  there  was  little  to  be  done  in  the 
court.  There  we  were  strong  enough ;  stronger,  perhaps, 
than  was  necessary  ;  but  I  greatly  distrusted  Guert's  scheme, 
the  guard  at  the  gate,  and  most  of  all  the  fire. 

I  was  soon  at  Mr.  Worden's  side.  There  the  reverend 
gentleman  was,  sure  enough,  with  Jason  Newcome  at  his 
elbow.  Their  duty  was  to  keep  the  gate  in  that  precise  con 
dition  in  which  it  could  be  barred,  or  unbarred,  at  the  short- 
est  notice,  as  friends  or  foes  might  seek  admission.  The 
parties  appeared  to  be  fully  aware  of  the  importance  of  tha 
trust  they  mled,  and  I  asked  permission  to  pass  out.  My 
first  object  was  the  fire,  for  it  struck  me  Herman  Mordaunt 
felt  too  much  confidence  in  his  means  of  extinguishing  it, 
and  that  our  security  had  been  neglected  in  that  quarter.  I 
was  no  sooner  outside  the  buildings,  therefore,  than  I  turned 


BATANSTOE.  425 

to  steal  along  the  wall  to  the  northwest  corner,  where  alone 
I  could  get  a  view  of  the  dangerous  pile. 

The  brightness  of  the  glare  that  was  gleaming  over  the 
fields  and  stumps,  that  came  within  the  compass  of  the  light 
from  the  fire,  added  to  my  security  by  the  contrast,  though 
it  did  not  tell  well  for  that  particular  source  of  danger.  The 
dark  stumps,  many  of  which  were  charred  by  the  fires  of 
the  clearing,  and  were  absolutely  black,  seemed  to  oe  danc 
ing  about  in  the  fields,  under  the  waving  light,  and  twice  I 
paused  to  meet  imaginary  savages  ere  I  had  gained  the  corner 
of  the  house.  Each  alarm,  however,  was  idle,  and  I  suc 
ceeded  in  obtaining  the  desired  view.  Not  only  were  the 
knots  burning  fiercely,  but  a  large  sheet  of  flame  was  cling 
ing  to  the  logs  of  the  house,  menacing  us  with  a  speedy 
conflagration.  The  danger  would  have  been  greater,  but  a 
thunder-shower  had  passed  over  the  settlement  only  an  hour 
before  we  were  alarmed,  and  coming  from  the  north,  all 
that  side  of  the  house  had  been  well  drenched  with  rain. 
This  occurred  after  '  Muss'  had  commenced  his  pile,  or  he 
might  have  chosen  another  side  of  the  building.  The  deep 
obscurity  of  that  gust,  however,  was  probably  one  of  the 
means  of  his  success.  He  must  have  been  at  work  during 
the  whole  continuance  of  the  storm. 

I  was  not  absent  from  the  gate  two  minutes.  That  brief 
space  was  sufficient  for  my  first  purpose.  I  now  desired 
Jason  to  enter  the  court,  and  to  tell  Herman  Mordaunt  not 
to  delay  a  moment  in  applying  the  means  for  extinguishing 
the  flames.  There  was  greater  danger  from  them  than  there 
possibly  could  be  from  any  other  attack  upon  the  pickets, 
made  in  the  darkness  of  the  morning.  Jason  was  cool  by 
temperament,  and  he  was  a  good  agent  to  be  employed  on 
such  a  duty.  Promising  to  be  quick,  he  left  us,  and  I  turn 
ed  my  face  towards  Guert  and  his  party.  As  yet,  nothing 
had  been  heard  of  the  last.  This  very  silence  was  a  source 
of  alarm,  though  it  was  difficult  to  imagine  the  adventurer 
had  met  with  an  enemy,  since  such  a  collision  must  have 
been  somewhat  noisy.  A  few  scattering  shot,  all  of  which 
came  from  the  west  side  of  the  buildings,  and  the  flickering 
light  of  the  fire,  were  the  only  interruptions  to  the  otherwise 
death-like  calm  of  the  hour. 

The  same  success  attended  me  in  reaching  the  south-west 
36* 


426 


SAT ANSTOE. 


as  in  reaching  the  north-west  angle  of  the  house.  To  me, 
it  seemed  as  if  the  savages  had  entirely  abandoned  the  fields 
in  my  vicinity.  When  I  took  my  stand  at  this  corner  of  the 
building,  I  found  all  its  southern  side  in  obscurity,  though 
sufficient  light  was  gleaming  over  the  meadows  to  render  the 
ragged  edges  of  the  cliff  visible  in  that' direction.  I  looked 
along  the  log  walls  to  this  streak  of  light,  but  could  see  no 
signs  of  my  friends.  I  was  certain  they  were  not  under  the 
house,  and  began  to  apprehend  some  serious  indiscretion  on 
the  part  of  the  bold  Albanian.  While  engaged  in  endeavour 
ing  to  get  a  clue  to  Guert's  movements,  by  devouring  every 
dark  object  I  could  perceive  with  my  eyes,  I  felt  an  elbow 
touched  lightly,  and  saw  a  savage  in  his  half-naked,  fighting 
attire,  at  my  side.  I  could  see  enough  to  ascertain  this,  but 
could  not  distinguish  faces.  I  was  feeling  for  my  hunting- 
knife,  when  the  Trackless's  voice  stayed  my  hand. 

"  He  wrong" — satd  the  Onondago,  with  emphasis.  "  Head 
too  young — hand  good — heart  good — head  very  bad.  Too 
much  fire — dark  here — much  better." 

This  characteristic  criticism  on  poor  Guert's  conduct, 
served  to  tell  the  whole  story.  Guert  had  put  himself  in 
a  position  in  which  the  Onondago  had  refused  to  remain  ;  in 
other  words,  he  had  gone  to  the  verge  of  the  cliff,  where  he 
was  exposed  to  the  light  of  the  fire,  and  where  he  was  ne 
cessarily  in  danger  of  being  seen.  Still,  no  signs  of  him 
were  visible,  and  I  was  on  the  point  of  moving  along  the 
south  side  of  the  building,  to  the  margin  of  the  rocks,  when 
the  Trackless  again  touched  my  arm,  and  said  "  There!" 

There  our  party  was,  sure  enough  !  It  had  managed  to 
reach  the  verge  of  the  rocks  at  a  salient  point,  which  placed 
ihem  in  an  admirable  position  for  raking  the  enemy,  who 
were  supposed  to  be  climbing  to  the  pickets,  with  a  view  to 
a  sudden  spring,  but  at  a  dangerous  distance  from  the  build 
ings.  The  darkness  had  been  the  means  of  their  reaching 
that  point,  which  was  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  spot 
where  I  had  expected  to  find  them,  and  admirably  placed 
for  the  intended  object.  The  whole  procedure  was  so  much 
like  Guert's  character,  that  I  could  not  but  admire  its  bold 
ness,  while  I  condemned  its  imprudence.  There  was,  how 
ever,  no  time  to  join  the  party,  or  to  warn  its  leader  of  the 
risks  he  ran.  We,  who  stood  so  far  in  the  rear,  could  see 


SATANSTOE, 


427 


and  fully  appreciate  all  the  danger,  while  he  probably  did 
not.  There  the  whole  party  of  them  stood,  plainly  though 
darkly  drawn  in  high  relief,  against  the  light  beyond,  each 
poising  his  rifle  and  making  his  dispositions  for  the  volley. 
Guert  was  nearest  to  the  verge  of  the  rocks,  actually  bend 
ing  over  them ;  Dirck  was  close  at  his  side;  Jaap  just  be 
hind  Dirck  ;  Jumper  close  at  Jaap's  elbow  ;  and  four  of  the 
settlers,  bold  and  hardy  men,  behind  the  Oneida. 

I  could  scarcely  breathe,  for  painful  expectation,  when  I 
saw  Guert  and  his  companions  thus  rising  from  the  earth, 
bringing  their  entire  figures  in  front  of  the  back-ground  of 
light.  I  could  have  called  out  to  warn  them  of  the  danger 
they  ran  ;  but  it  would  have  done  no  good,  nor  was  there 
time  for  remonstrances.  Guert  must  have  felt  he  occupied  a 
dangerous  position,  and  what  he  did  was  done  very  promptly. 
Ten  seconds  after  I  saw  the  dark  forms,  all  their  rifles  were 
discharged,  as  it  might  be  at  a  single  crack.  One  instant 
passed,  in  death-like  stillness,  through  all  the  fields,  and  in 
the  court ;  then  came  a  volley  from  among  the  stumps  at  a 
little  distance  from  our  side  of  the  building,  and  the  adven 
turers  on  the  rocks,  or  those  that  could,  rushed  towards  the 
gate.  Two  of  the  settlers,  however,  and  the  Oneida,  I  saw 
fall,  myself.  The  last  actually  leaped  upward,  into  the  air, 
and  went  down  the  cliff.  But  Guert,  Dirck,  Jaap,  and  the 
other  two  settlers,  had  moved  away.  It  was  at  that  moment 
that  my  ears  were  filled  with  such  yells  as  I  had  not  sup 
posed  the  human  throat  could  raise,  and  all  the  fields?  on  our 
side  of  the  house  seemed  alive  with  savages.  To  render  the 
scene  more  appalling,  that  was  the  precise  instant  when  the 
water,  previously  provided  by  Herman  Mordaunt,  fell  upon 
the  flames,  and  the  light  vanished,  almost  as  one  extin 
guishes  a  candle.  But  for  this  providential  coincidence, 
there  was  scarce  a  chance  for  the  escape  of  one  of  the  ad 
venturers.  As  it  was,  rifle  followed  rifle,  from  among  the 
stumps,  though  it  was  no  longer  with  any  certain  aim. 

The  battle  had  now  become  a  melee.  The  savages  went 
leaping  and  whooping  forward  in  the  darkness,  and  heavy 
blows  were  given  and  taken.  Guert's  clear,  manly  voice 
was  heard,  rising  above  the  clamour,  encouraging  his  com 
panions  to  press  through  the  throng  of  their  assailants,  in 
tones  full  of  confidence.  Both  the  Trackless  and  myself 


428  SATANSTOE. 

discharged  our  rifles  at  the  foremost  of  the  Hurons,  and 
each  certainly  brought  down  his  man ;  but  it  was  not  easy 
to  see  what  we  could  do  next.  To  stand  aloof  and  see  my 
friends  borne  down  by  numbers  was  impossible,  however, 
and  Susquesus  and  myself  fell  upon  the  enemy's  rear.  This 
charge  of  ours  had  the  appearance  of  a  sortie,  and  it  pro 
duced  a  decided  effect  on  the  result,  opening  a  passage  by 
which  Dirck  and  the  two  settlers  issued  from  the  throng, 
and  joined  us.  This  was  no  sooner  done,  than  we  all  had 
to  stand  at  bay,  retreating  little  by  little,  as  we  could.  The 
result  would  still  have  been  doubtful,  even  after  we  had  suc 
ceeded  in  reaching  the  south-western  angle  of  the  building, 
had  it  not  been  for  a  forward  movement  on  the  part  of  Her 
man  Mordaunt,  at  the  head  of  half-a-dozen  of  his  settlers. 
This  reinforcement  came  into  the  affair  with  loaded  rifles, 
and  a  single  discharge,  given  as  soon  as  we  were  in  a  line 
with  our  friends,  caused  our  assailants  to  vanish,  as  suddenly 
as  they  had  appeared.  On  reflecting  on  the  circumstances 
of  that  awful  night,  in  after-life,  I  have  thought  that  the 
force  in  the  rear  of  the  Hurons  began  to  melt  away,  even 
before  Herman  Mordaunt's  support  was  received,  leaving 
their  front  weak  and  unsustained.  At  any  rale,  the  enemy 
fled  to  their  covers,  as  has  just  been  related,  and  we  entered 
the  gate  in  a  body,  closing  and  barring  it,  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  can  scarcely  describe  the  change  that  had  come  over 
the  appearance  of  things  in  that  eventful  night.  The  fire 
was  extinguished,  even  to  the  embers,  and  deep  darkness 
had  succeeded  to  the  glimmering,  waving  red  light  of  the 
flames.  The  yells,  and  whoops,  and  screams,  and  shouts, 
for  our  men  had  frequently  thrown  bnck  the  defiance  of  their 
foes  in  cheers,  were  done  ;  a  stillness  as  profound  as  that  of 
the  grave  reigning  over  the  whole  place.  The  wounded 
seemed  ashamed  even  to  groan  ;  but  our  hurt,  of  whom 
there  were  four,  went  into  the  house  to  be  cared  for,  stern 
and  silent.  No  enemy  was  any  longer  to  be  apprehended 
beneath  the  pickets,  for  the  streak  of  morning  was  just  ap 
pearing  above  the  forest,  in  the  east,  and  Indians  rarely 
attack  under  the  light  of  day.  In  a  word,  that  night,  at 
least,  was  passed,  and  we  were  yet  protected  by  Providence. 

Herman  Mordaunt  now  bethought  him  of  ascertaining  his 
precise  situation,  the  extent  of  his  own  loss,  and,  as  far  as 


{  SATANSTOE.  429 

possible,  of  that  which  we  had  inflicted  on  the  enemy.  Guert 
was  called  for,  to  aid  in  this  inquiry,  but  no  Guert  was  to 
be  found !  Jaap,  too,  was  absent.  A  muster  was  had,  and 
then  it  was  found  that  Guert  Ten  Eyck,  Jaap  Satanstce, 
Gilbert  Davis,  and  Moses  Mudge  were  all  wanting.  The 
Jumper,  too,  did  not  appear ;  but  I  accounted  for  him,  and 
for  the  two  settlers  named,  having  actually  seen  them  fall. 
Day  returned  to  us  slowly,  while  agitated  by  the  effect  of 
these  discoveries ;  but  it  brought  no  relief.  We  s^on  ven 
tured  to  re-open  the  gates,  knowing  no  Indian  would  remain 
very  near  the  building,  while  it  was  light ;  and,  having  ex 
amined  all  the  dangerous  covers,  we  passed  outside  the  court 
with  confidence,  in  quest  of  the  bodies  of  our  friends.  Not 
an  Indian  was  seen,  Jumper  excepted.  The  Oneida  lay  at 
the  foot  of  the  rocks,  dead,  and  scalped ;  as  did  Davis  and 
Mudge  on  the  summit.  Everything  else  human  had  dis 
appeared.  Dirck  was  confident  that  six  or  seven  of  the 
Hurons  fell  by  the  volley  from  the  cliff,  but  the  bodies  had 
been  carried  off.  As  to  Guert  and  Jaap,  no  traces  of  them 
remained,  dead  or  alive. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

u  She  looked  on  many  a  face  with  vacant  eye, 
On  many  a  token  without  knowing  what ; 
She  saw  them  watch  her  without  asking  why, 
And  reck'd  not  who  around  her  pillow  sat ; 
Not  speechless,  though  she  spoke  not ;  not  a  sigh 

Relieved  her  thoughts  :  dull  silence  and  quick  chat 
Were  tried  in  vain  by  by  those  who  served ;  she  gave 
No  sign,  save  breath,  of  having  left  the  grave." 

BTROIT. 

IT  was  a  most  painful  moment  to  me,  when  Herman  Mor- 
daunt,  an  hour  after  all  these  facts  were  established,  came 
to  summon  me  to  the  presence  of  Anneke  and  Mary  Wal 
lace.  One  gleam  of  joy,  one  ray  of  the  sunshine  of  the 


430  SATANSTOE. 

heart,  shone  on  Anneke's  sweet  countenance  as  she  saw  me 
unharmed  enter  the  room,  but  it  quickly  disappeared  in  the 
strong  sympathy  she  felt  for  the  sufferings  of  her  friend. 
As  for  Mary  Wallace,  death  itself  could  hardly  have  left 
her  more  colourless,  or  with  features  more  firmly  impressed 
with  the  expression  of  mental  suffering.  Anneke  was  the 
first  to  speak. 

"  God  be  praised  that  this  dreadful  night  is  passed,  and 
you  and  my  dearest  father  are  spared !"  the  precious  girl 
said,  with  fervour,  pressing  the  hand  that  had  taken  one  of 
hers,  in  both  her  own.  "  For  this  much,  at  least,  we  can 
be  grateful ;  would  I  could  add  for  the  safety  of  us  all !" 

"  Tell  me  the  worst  at  once,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  added  Mary 
Wallace  ;  "  I  can  bear  anything  better  than  uncertainty.  Mr. 
Mordaunt  says  that  you  know  the  facts  better  than  any  one 
else,  and  that  you  must  relate  them.  Speak,  then,  though 
it  break  my  heart  to  hear  it ! — is  he  killed  ?" 

"  I  hope,  through  Heaven's  mercy,  not.  Indeed,  I  think 
not ;  though  1  fear  he  must  be  a  prisoner." 

"  Thank  you  for  that,  dear,  dear  Mr.  Littlepage  !  Oh  ! 
Thank  you  for  that,  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  But 
may  they  not  torture  him?  Do  not  these  Hurons  torture 
their  prisoners?  Conceal  nothing  from  me,  Corny;  you 
cannot  imagine  how  much  self-command  I  have,  and  how 
well  I  can  behave.  Oh  !  conceal  nothing." 

Poor  girl !  At  the  very  moment  she  was  boasting  of  her 
fortitude  and  ability  to  endure,  her  whole  frame  was  trem 
bling  from  head  to  foot,  her  face  was  of  the  hue  of  death, 
and  the  smile  with  which  she  spoke  was  frightfully  haggard. 
That  pent-up  passion,  which  had  so  long  struggled  with  her 
prudence,  could  no  longer  be  suppressed.  That  she  really 
loved  Guert,  and  that  her  love  would  prove  stronger  than 
her  discretion,  I  had  not  doubted,  now,  for  some  months ; 
but,  never  having  before  witnessed  the  strength  of  any  feel 
ing  that  had  been  so  long  and  so  painfully  suppressed,  I  con 
fess  that  this  exhibition  of  a  suffering  so  intense,  in  a  being 
so  delicate,  so  excellent,  and  so  lovely,  almost  unmanned 
me.  I  took  Mary  Wallace's  hand  and  led  her  to  a  chair, 
scarce  knowing  what  to  say  to  relieve  her  mind.  All  this 
time,  her  eye  never  turned  from  mine,  as  if  she  hoped  to 
learn  the  truth  by  the  aid  of  the  sense  of  sight  alone.  How 


SATAN  STOE.  431 

anxious,  jealous,  distrustful,  and  yet  beseeching  was  that 
gaze! 

"  Will  he  be  tortured?"  She  rather  whispered  huskily, 
than  asked  aloud. 

"  I  trust,  by  God's  mercy,  not.  They  have  taken  my 
slave,  Jaap,  also;  and  it  is  far  more  probable  that  he  would 
be  the  victim,  in  such  a  case,  than  Mr.  Ten  Eyck " 

"  Why  do  you  call  him  Mr.  Ten  Eyck  ?  You  have  al 
ways  called  him  Guert,  of  late — you  are  his  friend — you 
think  well  of  him — you  cannot  be  less  his  friend,  now  that 
he  is  miserable,  than  when  he  was  happy,  and  the  pride  of 
all  human  eyes,  in  his  strength  and  manly  beauty !" 

"Dear  Miss  Wallace,  compose  yourself,  I  do  entreat  of 
you — no  one  will  cling  to  Guert  longer  than  I." 

"Yes;  I  have  always  thought  this  —  always  felt  this. 
Guert  cannot  be  low,  or  mean  in  his  sentiments,  while  an 
educated  gentleman,  like  Corny  Littlepage,  is  his  friend. 
I  have  written  to  my  aunt,  and  we  must  not  be  too  hasty  in 
our  judgments.  The  spirit  and  follies  of  youth  will  soon 
be  over,  and  then  we  shall  see  a  shining  character  in  Guert 
Ten  Eyck.  Is  not  this  true,  Anneke?" 

Anneke  knelt  at  the  side  of  her  friend,  folded  her  in  her 
arms,  drew  the  quivering  head  down  upon  her  own  sympa 
thizing  bosom,  and  held  it  there  a  moment,  in  the  very  atti 
tude  of  protecting,  solacing  love.  After  a  brief  pause,  Ma 
ry  Wallace  burst  into  tears,  and  I  have  ever  thought  that 
that  relief,  under  God's  mercy,  saved  her  reason.  In  a  few 
minutes,  the  sufferer  became  more  calm,  when  she  retired 
into  herself,  as  was  her  wont,  leaving  Anneke  and  me  to 
discuss  the  subject. 

After  turning  all  the  chances  and  probabilities  in  our 
minds,  I  promised  my  companions  not  to  lose  a  moment,  but 
to  use  immediate  means  of  ascertaining  all  that  could  be 
ascertained,  in  Guert's  behalf,  and  of  doing  everything  that 
could  be  done,  to  save  him. 

"You  will  not  deceive  me,  Corny,"  whispered  Mary  Wal 
lace,  pressing  my  hand  at  leave-taking,  in  both  her  own. 
"  I  know  I  can  depend  on  you,  for  he  boasts  of  being  your 
friend." 

Anneke's  painful  smile  added  force  to  this  request,  and  I 
tore  myself  away  unwilling  to  quit  such  a  sufferer,  yet  un~ 


432  SATANSTOE. 

able  to  remain.  Herman  Mordaunt  was  seen  conversing 
with  Susquesus,  in  the  court,  and  I  joined  him  at  once,  de 
termined  to  lose  no  time. 

"  I  was  speaking  to  the  Trackless  on  this  very  subject," 
answered  Herman  Mordaunt,  as  soon  as  I  had  explained  mv 
purpose,  "  and  am  now  waiting  for  his  answer.  Do  you 
think  it,  then,  safe  to  send  a  messenger  out  to  the  Hurons, 
in  order  to  inquire  after  our  friends,  and  to  treat  with 
them  !" 

"No  send ?  —  Why  not ?"  returned  the  Indian.  "Red 
man  glad  to  see  messenger.  Go  when  he  want;  come 
back  when  he  want.  How  can  make  bargain,  if  scalp  mes 
senger?" 

I  had  heard  that  the  most  savage  tribes  respected  a  mes 
senger  ;  and,  indeed,  the  necessity  of  so  doing  was,  of  itself, 
a  sort  of  security  that  such  must  be  the  case.  It  was  true, 
that  the  bearer  of  a  flag  might  be  in  more  danger,  on  such 
an  errand,  than  would  be  the  case  in  a  camp  of  civilized 
men  ;  but  these  Canada-Indians  had  been  long  serving  with 
the  French,  and  their  chiefs,  beyond  a  question,  had  ob 
tained  some  of  the  notions  of  pale-face  warfare.  Without 
much  reflection,  therefore,  and  under  an  impulse  in  behalf 
of  my  friend,  and  my  slave  —  for  Jaap's  fate  was  of  lively 
interest  with  me  —  I  volunteered  to  bear  a  flag  myself. 
Herman  Mordaunt  shook  his  head,  and  seemed  reluctant  to 
comply. 

"Anneke  would  hardly  pardon  me  for  consenting  to  that," 
he  answered.  "  You  must  remember,  now,  Corny,  that  a 
very  tender  and  sensitive  heart  is  bound  up  in  you,  and 
you  must  no  longer  act  like  a  thoughtless,  single  man.  It 
would  be  far  better  to  send  this  Onondago,  if  he  will  agree 
to  go.  He  understands  the  red  men,  and  will  be  able  to 
interpret  the  omens  with  more  certainty,  than  any  of  us. 
What  say  you,  Susquesus ;  will  you  be  a  messenger  to  the 
Hurons?" 

"  Sartain  ; — why  no  go,  if  he  want  ?  Good  to  be  messen 
ger,  sometime.  Where  wampum — what  tell  him?" 

Thus  encouraged,  we  deliberated  together,  and  soon  had 
Susquesus  in  readiness  to  depart.  As  for  the  Indian,  he  laid 
aside  all  his  arms,  washed  the  war-paint  from  his  face,  put 
a  calico  shirt  over  his  shoulders,  and  assumed  the  guise  of 


SATANSTOE.  433 

peace.  We  gave  him  a  small,  white  flag  to  carry,  feeling 
certain  that  the  Huron  chiefs  must  understand  its  meaning; 
and  thinking  it  might  be  better,  in  bearing  a  message  from 
pale-faces,  that  he^who  carried  it  should  have  a  pale-face 
symbol  of  his  errand.  Susquesus  found  some  wampum,  too; 
having  as  much  faith  in  that,  probably,  as  in  anything  else. 
He  then  set  forth,  being  charged  to  offer  liberal  ransom  to 
the  Hurons,  for  the  living,  uninjured  bodies  of  Guert  Ten 
Eyck  and  Jaap  Satanstoe. 

We  entertained  no  doubt  that  the  enemy  would  be  found 
in  the  ravine,  for  that  was  the  point,  in  every  respect,  most 
favourable  to  the  operations  of  the  siege ;  being  near  the 
house,  having  a  perfect  cover,  possessing  water,  wood,  and 
other  conveniences.  From  that  point  the  Nest  could  be 
watched,  and  any  favourable  chance  improved.  Thither, 
then,  Susquesus  was  told  to  proceed ;  though  it  was  not 
thought  advisable  to  fetter  one  so  shrewd,  with  too  many 
instructions.  Several  of  us  accompanied  the  Onondago  to  the 
gate,  and  saw  him  moving  across  the  fields,  towards  the 
wood,  in  his  usual  loping  trot.  A  bird  could  scarcely  have 
flown  more  directly  to  its  object. 

The  half-hour  that  succeeded  the  disappearance  of  Sus 
quesus,  in  the  mouth  of  the  ravine,  was  one  of  intensely 
painful  suspense.  We  all  remained  without  the  gate,  wait 
ing  the  result,  including  Dirck,  Mr.  Worden,  Jason,  and 
half-a-dozen  of  the  settlers.  At  length  the  Onondago  re 
appeared  ;  and,  to  our  great  joy,  a  group  followed  him,  in 
which  were  both  the  prisoners.  The  last  were  bound,  but 
able  to  walk.  This  party  might  have  contained  a  dozen  of 
the  enemy,  all  of  whom  were  armed.  It  moved  slowly  out 
of  the  ravine,  and  ascended  to  the  fields  that  were  on  a  level 
with  the  house,  halting  when  about  four  hundred  yards  from 
us.  Seeing  this  movement,  we  counted  out  exactly  the 
same  number  of  men,  and  went  forward,  halting  at  a  dis 
tance  of  two  hundred  yards  from  the  Indians.  Here  we 
waited  for  our  messenger,  who  continued  on,  after  the 
Hurons  had  come  to  a  stand.  Thus  far  everything  looked 
propitious. 

"  Do  you  bring  us  good  news?"  Herman  Mordaunt  eagerly 
asked.     "  Are  our  friends  unhurt?" 
37 


434  SATANSTOE. 

"Got  scalp — no  hurt — take  prisoner — jump  on  Tem,  ten, 
two,  six — cotch  'em,  then.  Open  eyes ;  you  see." 

"  And  the  Hurons — do  they  seem  inclined  to  accept  the 
ransom?  Rum,  rifle,  blanket  and  powder;  you  offered  all, 
I  hope,  Susquesus?" 

"  Sartain.  No  forget ;  that  bad.  Say  take  all  that ;  some 
more,  too." 

"  And  they  have  come  to  treat  with  us  ?  What  are  we  to 
do,  now,  Susquesus?" 

"  Put  down  rifle — go  near  and  talk.  You  go — priest  go — 
young  chief  go  —  that  t'ree.  Then  t'ree  warrior  lay  down 
rifle,  come  talk,  too.  Prisoner  wait.  All  good." 

This  was  sufficiently  intelligible,  and  believing  that  any 
thing  like  hesitation  might  make  the  condition  of  Guert 
desperate,  we  prepared  to  comply.  I  could  see  that  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Worden  had  no  great  relish  for  the  business,  but 
was  ashamed  to  hang  back  when  he  saw  Herman  Mordaunt 
cheerfully  advancing  to  the  interview.  We  three  were  met 
by  as  many  Hurons,  among  whom  was  Jaap's  friend  'Muss,' 
who  was  evidently  the  leading  person  of  the  party.  Guert 
and  Jaap  were  held,  bound,  about  a  hundred  yards  in  the 
rear,  but  near  enough  to  be  spoken  to,  by  raising  the  voice. 
Guert  was  in  his  shirt  and  breeches,  with  his  head  uncover 
ed,  his  fine  curly  hair  blowing  about  in  the  wind,  and  I 
thought  I  saw  some  signs  of  blood  on  his  linen.  This  might 
be  his  own,  or  it  might  have  come  from  an  enemy.  I  called 
to  him,  therefore,  inquiring  how  he  did,  and  whether  he  were 
hurt. 

"  Nothing  to  speak  of,  Corny,  I  thank  you,"  was  the 
cheerful  answer;  "these  red  gentlemen  have 'had  me  tied  to 
a  tree,  and  have  been  seeing  how  near  they  could  hurl  their 
tomahawks  without  hitting.  This  is  one  of  their  customary 
amusements,  and  I  have  got  a  scratch  or  two  in  the  spm*. 
I  hope  the  ladies  are  in  good  spirits,  and  do  not  let  the  busi 
ness  of  last  ni^ht  distress  them." 

"  There  is  blessed  news  for  you,  Guert  —  Susquesus,  ask 
these  chiefs  if  I  may  go  near  my  friend  to  give  him  one 
word  of  consolation  —  on  my  honour,  no  attempt  to  release 
him  will  be  made  by  me,  until  I  return  here." 

I  spoke  earnestly,  and  the  Onondago  interpreted  what  I 
oad  said  into  the  language  of  the  Hurons.  I  had  made  this 


SATANSTOE.  435 

somewhat  hardy  request,  under  an  impulse  that  I  found  un- 
governable,  and  was  surprised,  as  well  as  pleased,  to  find  it 
granted.  These  savages  confided  in  my  word,  and  trusted 
to  my  honour  with  a  stately  delicacy  that  might  have  done 
credit  to  the  manners  of  civilized  kings,  giving  themselves 
no  apparent  concern  about  my  movements,  although  they 
occurred  in  their  own  rear.  It  was  too  late  to  retract,  and, 
leaving  Herman  Mordaunt  endeavouring  to  drive  a  bargain 
with  Muss  and  his  two  companions,  I  proceeded,  uncon 
cerned  myself,  boldly  towards  the  armed  men  who  held 
Guert  and  Jaap  prisoners.  I  thought  my  approach  did 
cause  a  slight  movement  among  these  savages,  and  there 
was  a  question  and  answer  passed  between  them  and  their 
leaders.  The  latter  said  but  a  word  or  two,  but  these  were 
uttered  authoritatively,  and  with  a  commanding  toss  of  a 
hand.  Brief  as  they  were,  they  answered  the  purpose,  and 
I  was  neither  molested  nor  spoken  to,  during  the  short  in 
terview  I  had  with  my  friend. 

"  God  bless  you,  Corny,  for  this  !"  Guert  cried  with  feel 
ing,  as  I  warmly  shook  his  hand.  "It  requires  a  warm 
heart,  and  a  bold  one  too,  to  lead  a  man  into  this  *  lion's 
den.'  Stay  but  a  moment,  lest  some  evil  come  of  it,  I  beg 
of  you.  This  squeeze  of  the  hand  is  worth  an  estate  to  a 
man  in  my  situation  ;  but  remember  Anneke.  Ah  !  Corny, 
my  dear  friend,  I  could  be  happy  even  here,  did  I  know  that 
Mary  Wallace  grieved  for  me !" 

"  Then  be  happy,  Guert.  My  sole  object  in  venturing 
here,  was  to  tell  you  to  hope  everything  in  that  quarter. 
There  will  be  no  longer  any  coyness,  any  hesitation,  any 
misgivings,  when  you  shall  be  once  restored  to  us." 

"  Mr.  Littlepage,  you  would  not  trifle  with  the  feelings  of 
a  miserable  captive,  hanging  between  torture  and  death, 
is  my  present  case  !     I  can  hardly  credit  my  senses ;  yet, 
you  would  not  mock  me !" 

"  Believe  all  I  say — nay,  all  you  wish,  Guert.  It  is  sel 
dom  that  woman  loves  as  she  loves,  and  this  I  swear  to  you. 
I  go  now,  only  to  aid  Herman  Mordaunt  in  bringing  you 
where  your  own  ears  shall  hear  such  proofs  of  what  I  say, 
as  have  been  uttered  in  mine." 

Guert  made  no  answer,  but  I  could  see  he  was  profoundly 
affected.  I  squeezed  his  hand,  and  we  parted,  in  the  full 


436  SATANSTOE. 

hope,  on  my  side  at  least,  that  the  separation  would  be  short. 
I  have  reason  to  think  Guert  shed  tears ;  for,  on  looking 
back,  I  perceived  his  face  turned  away  from  those  who  were 
nearest  to  him.  I  had  but  a  single  glance  at  Jaap.  My 
fellow  stood  a  little  in  the  rear,  as  became  his  colour;  but 
he  watched  my  countenance  with  the  vigilance  of  a  cat.  I 
thought  it  best  not  to  speak  to  him,  though  I  gave  him  a 
secret  sign  of  encouragement. 

"  These  chiefs  are  not  very  amicably  disposed,  Corny," 
said  Herman  Mordaunt,  the  instant  I  rejoined  him.  "  They 
have  given  me  to  understand  that  Jaap  will  be  liberated  on 
no  terms  whatever.  They  must  have  his  scalp,  as  Sus- 
quesus  tells  me,  on  account  of  some  severity  he  himself  has 
shown  to  one  of  these  chiefs.  To  use  their  own  language, 
they  want  it  for  a  plaster  to  this  warrior's  back.  His  fate, 
it  would  seem,  is  sealed,  and  he  has  only  been  brought  out 
yonder,  to  raise  hopes  in  him  that  are  to  be  disappointed. 
The  wretches  do  not  scruple  to  avow  this,  in  their  own  sen 
tentious  manner.  As  for  Guert,  they  say  he  slew  two  of 
their  warriors,  and  that  their  wives  will  miss  their  husbands, 
and  will  not  be  easily  quieted  unless  they  see  his  scalp,  too. 
They  offer  to  release  him,  however,  on  either  of  two  sets  of 
terms.  They  will  give  up  Guert  for  two  of  what  they  call 
chiefs,  or  for  four  common  men.  If  we  do  not  like  those 
conditions,  they  will  exchange  him,  on  condition  we  give 
two  common  men  for  him,  and  abandon  the  Nest  to  them, 
by  marching  out,  with  all  my  people,  before  the  sun  is  up 
above  our  heads." 

"  Conditions  that  you  cannot  accept,  under  any  circum 
stances,  I  fear,  sir?" 

"  Certainly  not.  The  delivery  of  any  two  is  out  of  the 
question — would  be  so,  even  to  save  my  own  life.  As  for 
the  Nest  and  its  contents,  I  would  very  willingly  abandon 
all,  a  few  papers  excepted,  had  I  the  smallest  faith  in  the 
chiefs'  beinj*  able  to  restrain  their  followers ;  but  the  dread 
ful  massacre  of  William-Henry  is  still  too  recent,  to  confide 
in  anything  of  the  sort.  My  answer  is  given  already,  and 
we  are  about  to  part.  Possibly,  when  they  see  us  deter 
mined,  they  may  lower  their  demands  a  little." 

A  grave  parting  wave  of  the  hand  was  given  by  Muss, 


SATANSTOE.  437 

who  had  conducted  himself  with  great  dignity  m  the  inter 
view,  and  the  three  Hurons  walked  away  in  a  body. 

"  Best  go,"  said  Susquesus,  significantly.  "  Maybe  want 
rifle.  Hurons  in  'arnest." 

On  this  hint,  we  returned  to  our  friends,  and  resumed  our 
arms.  What  succeeded,  I  learned  in  part  by  the  relations 
of  others,  while  a  part  was  witnessed  by  my  own  eyes.  It 
seems  that  Jaap,  from  the  first,  understood  the  desperate 
nature  of  his  own  position.  The  remembrance  of  his  mis 
deeds  in  relation  to  Muss,  whose  prisoner  he  had  more 
especially  become,  most  probably  increased  his  apprehen 
sions,  and  his  thoughts  were  constantly  bent  on  obtaining 
his  liberty,  by  means  entirely  independent  of  negotiation. 
From  the  instant  he  was  brought  out  of  the  ravine,  he  kept 
all  his  eyes  about  him,  watching  for  the  smallest  chance  of 
effecting  his  purpose.  It  happened  that  one  of  the  savages 
so  placed  himself  before  the  negro,  who  was  kept  behind  all 
near  him,  as  to  enable  Jaap  to  draw  the  Huron's  knife  from 
its  sheath  without  being  detected.  He  did  this  while  I  was 
actually  with  the  party,  and  all  eyes  were  on  me.  Guert 
and  himself  were  bound,  by  having  their  arms  fastened 
above  the  elbows,  behind  the  back  ;  and  when  Guert  turned 
aside  to  shed  tears,  as  mentioned,  Jaap  succeeded  in  cutting 
his  fastenings.  This  could  be  done,  only  while  the  savages 
were  following  my  retreating  form  with  their  eyes.  At  the 
same  time  Jaap  gave  the  knife  to  Guert,  who  did  him  a 
similar  service.  As  the  Indians  did  not  take  the  alarm,  the 
prisoners  paused  a  moment,  holding  their  arms  as  if  still 
bound,  to  look  around  them.  The  Indian  nearest  Guert  had 
two  rifles,  his  own  and  that  of  Muss,  both  leaning  negli 
gently  against  his  shoulder,  with  their  breeches  on  the 
ground.  To  these  weapons  Guert  pointed;  and,  when  the 
three  chiefs  were  on  the  point  of  rejoining  their  friends,  who 
were  attentive  to  their  movements  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
result,  Guert  seized  this  savage  by  his  arm,  which  he  twisted 
until  the  Indian  yelled  with  pain,  then  caught  one  rifle,  while 
Jaap  laid  hold  of  the  other.  Each  fired  and  brought  down 
his  man  ;  then  they  made  an  onset  with  the  butts  of  their 
pieces  on  the  rest  of  the  party.  This  bold  assault,  though  so 
desperate  in  appearance,  was  the  wisest  thing  they  could 
do ;  as  immediate  flight  would  have  left  their  enemies  an  op- 
37* 


438  SATANSTOE. 

portunity  of  sending  the  swift  runners  of  their  pieces  in 
pursuit. 

The  first  intimation  we  had  of  any  movement  of  this  sort 
was  in  the  reports  of  the  rifles.  Then,  I  not  only  saw,  but 
I  heard  the  tremendous  blow  Jaap  gave  to  the  head  of 
Muss ;  a  blow  that  demolished  both  the  victim  and  the  in 
strument  of  his  destruction.  Though  the  breech  of  the 
rifle  was  broken,  the  heavy  barrel  still  remained,  and  the 
negro  flourished  it  with  a  force  that  swept  all  before  him. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  Guert  was  not  idle  in  such  a 
fray.  He  fought  for  Mary  Wallace,  as  well  as  for  himself, 
and  he  overturned  two  more  of  the  Indians,  as  it  might  be, 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  Here  Dirck  did  good  service 
to  our  friends.  His  rifle  was  in  his  hands,  and,  levelling  it 
with  coolness,  he  shot  down  a  powerful  savage  who  was  on 
the  point  of  seizing  Guert  from  behind.  This  was  the  com 
mencement  of  a  general  war,  volleys  now  coming  from  both 
parties ;  from  ourselves,  and  from  the  enemy,  who  were  in 
the  cover  of  the  woods.  Intimidated  by  the  fury  of  the 
personal  assault  under  which  they  were  suffering,  the  re 
maining  Indians  near  Guert  and  the  negro  leaped  away  to 
wards  their  friends,  yelling;  leaving  their  late  prisoners 
free,  but  more  exposed  to  fire  than  they  could  have  been 
when  encircled  even  by  enemies. 

Everything  passed  with  fearful  rapidity.  Guert  seized 
the  rifle  of  a  fallen  Indian,  and  Jaap  obtained  another, 
when  they  fell  back  towards  us,  like  two  lions  at  bay,  with 
rifle-bullets  whizzing  around  them  at  every  step.  Of  course, 
we  fired,  and  we  also  advanced  to  meet  them ;  an  imprudent 
step,  since  the  main  body  of  the  Hurons  were  covered,  ren 
dering  the  contest  unequal.  But,  there  was  no  resisting  the 
sympathetic  impulses  of  such  a  moment,  or  the  exultation 
we  all  felt  at  the  exploits  of  Guert  and  Jaap,  enacted,  as 
they  were,  before  our  eyes.  As  we  drew  together,  the  for 
mer  shouted  and  cried — 

"  Hurrah  !  Corny,  my  noble  fellow — let  us  charge  the 
woot — there  '11  not  be  a  reat-skin  left  in  it,  in  five  minutes. 
Forwart,  my  friends — forwart,  all !" 

It  certainly  was  an  exciting  moment.  We  all  shouted 
in  our  turns,  and  all  cried  *  forward,'  in  common.  Even 
Mr.  Worden  joined  in  the  shout,  and  pressed  forward.  Ja- 


SA.TANSTOE.  439 

son,  too,  tbught  bravely ;  and  we  went  at  the  wood  like  so 
many  bull-dogs.  I  fancy  the  pedagogue  thought  the  fee- 
simple  of  his  mills  depended  on  the  result.  On  we  went,  in 
open  order,  reserving  our  fire  for  the  last  moment,  but  re 
ceiving  dropping  shots,  that  did  us  no  harm,  until  we  dashed 
into  the  thicket. 

The  Hurons  were  discomfited,  and  they  fled.  Though  a 
panic  is  not  usual  among  those  wild  warriors,  they  seldom 
rally  on  the  field.  If  once  driven,  against  their  will,  a  close 
pursuit  will  usually  disperse  them  for  a  time ;  and  such  was 
the  case  now.  By  the  time  I  got  fairly  into  the  ravine,  I 
could  see  or  hear  of  no  enemy.  My  friends  were  on  my 
right  and  left,  shouting-  and  pressing  on  ;  but  there  was  no 
foe  visible.  Guert  and  Jaap  were  in  advance,  for  we  could 
not  overtake  them ;  and  they  had  fired,  for  they  got  the  last 
glimpses  of  the  enemy.  But  one  more  shot  did  come  from 
the  Hurons  in  that  inroad.  It  was  fired  from  some  one  of 
the  retreating  party,  who  must  have  been  lingering  in  its 
rear.  The  report  sounded  far  up  the  ravine,  and  it  came 
like  a  farewell  and  final  gun.  Distant  as  it  was,  however, 
it  proved  the  most  fatal  shot  to  us  that  was  fired  in  all  that 
affair.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  Guert,  through  the  trees,  and 
saw  him  fall.  In  an  instant,  I  was  at  his  side. 

What  a  change  is  that  from  the  triumph  of  victory  to  the 
sudden  approach  of  death!  I  saw  by  the  expression  of 
Guert's  countenance,  as  I  raised  him  in  my  arms,  that  the 
blow  was  fatal.  The  ball,  indeed,  had  passed  directly  through 
his  body,  missing  the  bones,  but  injuring  the  vitals.  There 
is  no  mistaking  the  expression  of  a  death-wound  on  the 
human  countenance,  when  the  effect  is  direct  and  not  re 
mote.  Nature  appears  to  admonish  the  victim  of  his  fate. 
So  it  was  with  Guert. 

"  This  shot  has  done  for  me,  Corny,"  he  said,  "  and  it 
seems  to  be  the  very  last  they  intended  to  fire.  I  almost 
hope  there  can  be  no  truth  in  what  you  told  me  of  Mary 
Wallace !" 

That  was  neither  the  time  nor  the  place  to  speak  on  such 
a  subject,  and  I  made  no  answer.  From  the  instant  the  fall 
of  Guert  became  known,  the  pursuit  ceased,  and  our  whole 
party  collected  around  the  wounded  man.  The  Indian  alone 
seemed  to  retain  any  consciousness  of  the  importance  of 


440  SATANSTOE. 

knowing  what  the  enemy  was  doing,  for  his  philosophy  was 
not  easily  disturbed  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  death 
among  us.  Still  he  liked  Guert,  as  did  every  one  who  could 
get  beyond  the  weaknesses  of  his  outer  character,  and  fairly 
at  the  noble  traits  of  his  manly  nature.  Susquesus  looked 
at  the  sufferer  a  moment,  gravely  and  not  without  concern ; 
then  he  turned  to  Herman  Mordaunt,  and  said— 

"  This  bad — save  scalp,  that  good,  though.  Carry  him 
in  house.  Susquesus  follow  trail  and  see  what  Injin  mean." 

As  this  was  well,  he  was  told  to  watch  the  enemy,  while 
we  bore  our  friend  towards  the  Nest.  Dirck  consented  to 
precede  us,  and  let  the  melancholy  truth  be  known,  while  I 
continued  with  Guert,  who  held  my  hand  the  whole  dis 
tance.  We  were  a  most  melancholy  procession,  for  victors. 
Not  a  serious  hurt  had  any  of  our  party  received,  in  this 
'ast  affair,  the  wound  of  Guert  Ten  Eyck  excepted ;  yet,  I 
question  if  more  real  sorrow  would  have  been  felt  over  two 
or  three  other  deaths.  We  had  become  accustomed  to  our 
situation ;  it  is  wonderful  how  soon  the  soldier  does ;  ren 
dering  death  familiar,  and  disarming  him  of  half  his  terrors  ; 
but  calamities  can,  and  do  occur,  to  bring  back  an  army  to 
a  sense  of  its  true  nature  and  its  dependence  on  Providence. 
Such  had  been  the  effect  of  the  loss  of  Lord  Howe,  on  the 
troops  before  Ticonderoga,  and  such  was  the  effect  of  the 
fall  of  Guert  Ten  Eyck,  on  the  small  band  that  was  collect 
ed  to  defend  the  possessions  and  firesides  of  Ravensnest. 

We  entered  the  gate  of  the  house,  and  found  most  of  its 
tenants  already  in  the  court,  collected  like  a  congregation 
in  a  church  that  awaits  the  entrance  of  the  dead.  Herman 
Mordaunt  had  sent  an  order  to  have  his  own  room  prepared 
for  the  sufferer,  and  thither  we  carried  Guert.  He  was 
placed  on  the  bed  ;  then  the  crowd  silently  withdrew.  I 
observed  that  Guert's  eyes  turned  anxiously  and  inquiringly 
around,  and  I  told  him,  in  a  low  voice,  I  would  go  for  the 
ladies  myself.  A  smile,  and  a  pressure  of  the  hand,  showed 
how  well  I  had  interpreted  his  thoughts. 

Somewhat  to  my  surprise,  I  found  Mary  Wallace,  pale  it 
is  true,  but  comparatively  calm  and  mistress  of  herself. 
That  instinct  of  propriety  which  seems  to  form  a  part  of  the 
nature  of  a  well-educated  woman,  had  taught  her  the  ne 
cessity  of  self-command,  that  no  outbreak  of  her  feelings 


SA  TANS  TOE.  441 

should  affect  the  sufferer.  As  for  Anneke,  she  was  like  her- 
self,  gentle,  mourning,  and  full  of  sympathy  for  her  friend. 

As  soon  as  apprised  of  the  object  of  my  visit,  the  two 
girls  expressed  their  readiness  to  go  to  Guert.  As  they 
knew  the  way,  I  did  not  attend  them,  purposely  proceeding 
in  another  direction,  in  order  not  to  be  a  witness  of  the  in 
terview.  Anneke  has  since  told  me,  however,  that  Mary's 
self-command  did  not  altogether  desert  her,  while  Guert's 
cheerful  gratitude  probably  so  far  deceived  her  as  to  create 
a  short-lived  hope  that  the  wound  was  not  mortal.  For  my 
self,  I  passed  an  hour  in  attending  to  the  state  of  things  in 
and  around  the  house,  in  order  to  make  certain  that  no  neg 
ligence  occurred  still  to  endanger  our  security.  At  the  end 
of  that  time,  I  returned  to  Guert,  meeting  Herman  Mor- 
daunt  near  the  door  of  his  room. 

"  The  little  hope  we  had  is  vanished,"  said  the  last,  in  a 
sorrowful  tone.  "  Poor  Ten  Eyck  has,  beyond  a  question, 
received  his  death-wound,  and  has  but  a  few  hours  to  live. 
Were  my  people  safe,  I  would  rather  thai  everything  at  Ra- 
vensnest,  house  and  estate,  were  destroyed,  than  had  this 
happen  !" 

Prepared  by  this  announcement,  I  was  not  as  much  sur 
prised  as  I  might  otherwise  have  been,  at  the  great  change 
that  had  occurred  in  my  friend,  since  the  time  I  quitted  his 
room.  It  was  evident  he  anticipated  the  result.  Neverthe 
less  he  was  calm  ;  nay,  apparently  happy.  Nor  was  he  so 
much  enfeebled  as  to  prevent  his  speaking  quite  distinctly, 
and  with  sufficient  ease.  When  the  machine  of  life  is  stop 
ped  by  the  sudden  disruption  of  a  vital  ligament,  the  ap 
proaches  of  death,  though  more  rapid  than  with  disease,  are 
seldom  so  apparent.  The  first  evidences  of  a  fatal  termi 
nation  are  discovered  rather  through  the  nature  of  the  vio 
lence,  than  by  means  of  apparent  effects. 

I  have  said  that  Guert  seemed  even  happy,  though  death 
was  so  near.  Anneke  told  me,  subsequently,  that  Mary 
Wallace  had  owned  her  love,  in  answer  to  an  earnest  appeal 
on  his  part,  and,  from  that  moment,  he  hud  expressed  him 
self  as  one  who  was  about  to  die  contented.  Poor  Guert ! 
It  was  little  he  thought  of  the  dread  future,  or  of  the  church 
on  earth,  except  as  the  last  was  entitled  to,  and  did  receive 
on  all  occasions,  his  outward  respect.  It  seemed  that  Mary 


442  SATANSTOE. 

"Wallace,  habitually  so  reserved  and  silent  among  her  friends', 
had  been  accustomed  to  converse  freely  with  Guert,  and 
that  she  had  made  a  serious  effort,  during  her  residence  in 
Albany,  to  enlighten  his  mind,  or  rather  to  arouse  his  feel 
ings  on  this  all-important  subject,  and  that  Guert,  sensible 
of  the  pleasure  of  receiving  instruction  from  such  a  source, 
always  listened  with  attention.  When  I  entered  the  room, 
some  allusion  had  just  been  made  to  this  theme. 

"  But  for  you,  Mary,  I  should  be  little  better  than  a  hea 
then,"  said  Guert,  holding  the  hand  of  his  beloved,  and 
scarce  averting  his  eyes  from  their  idol  a  single  instant. 
"  If  God  has  mercy  on  me,  it  will  be  on  your  account." 

"  Oh  !  no — no — no — Guert,  say  not,  think  not  thus  /" 
exclaimed  Mary  Wallace,  shocked  at  this  excess  of  his  at 
tachment  even  for  herself  at  such  a  moment.  "  We  all  re 
ceive  our  pardons  through  the  death  and  mediation  of  his 
Blessed  Son.  Nothing  else  can  save  you,  or  any  of  us, 
my  dear,  dear  Guert ;  and  I  implore  you  not  to  think  other 
wise." 

Guert  looked  a  little  bewildered ;  still  he  looked  pleased. 
The  first  expression  was  probably  produced  by  his  not  ex 
actly  comprehending  the  nature  of  that  mysterious  expia 
tion,  which  baffles  the  unaided  powers  of  man,  and  which, 
indeed,  is  to  be  felt,  rather  than  understood.  The  look  of 
pleasure  had  its  origin  in  the  *  dear,  dear  Guert,'  and,  more 
than  that,  in  the  consciousness  of  possessing  the  affections 
of  the  woman  he  had  so  long  loved,  almost  against  hope. 
Guert  Ten  Eyck  was  a  man  of  bold  and  reckless  charac 
ter,  in  all  that  pertained  to  risks,  frolic,  and  youthful  adven 
ture  ;  but  the  meekest  Christian  could  scarcely  possess  a 
more  lowly  opinion  of  his  own  frailties  and  sins,  than  this 
dashing  young  fellow  possessed  of  his  own  claims  to  be 
valued  by  such  a  being  as  Mary  Wallace.  I  often  wonder 
ed  how  he  ever  presumed  to  love  her,  but  suppose  the  appa 
rent  vanity  must  be  ascribed  to  the  resistless  power  of  a  pas 
sion  that  is  known  to  be  the  strongest  of  our  nature.  It  was 
also  a  sort  of  moral  anomaly  that  two  so  opposed  to  each 
other  in  character  ;  the  one  verging  on  extreme  recklessness, 
the  other  pushing  prudence  almost  to  prudery  ;  the  one  so 
gay  as  to  seem  to  live  for  frolic,  the  other  quiet  and  reserved 
should  conceive  this  strong  predilection  for  each  other ;  bul 


SATANSTOE.  443 

BO  it  was.  I  have  heard  persons  say,  however,  that  these 
varieties  in  temperament  awaken  interest,  and  that  they  who 
have  commenced  with  such  dissimilarities,  but  have  assimi 
lated  by  communion,  attachment,  and  habits,  after  all,  make 
the  happiest  couples. 

Mary  Wallace  lost  all  her  reserve,  in  the  gush  of  tender- 
ness  and  sympathy,  that  now  swept  all  before  it.  Through 
out  the  whole  of  that  morning,  she  hung  about  Guert,  as  the 
mother  watches  the  ailing  infant.  If  his  thirst  was  to  be 
assuaged,  her  hand  held  the  cup ;  if  his  pillow  was  to  be 
replaced,  her  care  suggested  the  alteration  ;  if  his  brow  was 
to  be  wiped,  she  performed  that  office  for  him,  suffering  no 
other  to  come  between  her  and  the  object  of  her  solicitude. 

There  were  moments  when  the  manner  in  which  Mary 
Wallace  hung  over  Guert,  was  infinitely  touching.  Anneke 
and  I  knew  that  her  very  soul  yearned  to  lead  his  thoughts 
to  dwell  on  the  subject  of  the  great  change  that  was  so  near. 
Nevertheless,  the  tenderness  of  the  woman  was  so  much 
stronger  than  even  the  anxiety  of  the  Christian,  that  we  per 
ceived  she  feared  the  influence  on  his  wound.  At  length, 
happily  for  an  anxiety  that  was  beginning  to  be  too  painful 
for  endurance,  Guert  spoke  on  the  subject,  himself.  Whe 
ther  his  mind  adverted  naturally  to  such  a  topic,  or  he  per 
ceived  the  solicitude  of  his  gentle  nurse,  I  could  not  say. 

"  I  cannot  stay  with  you  long,  Mary,"  he  said,  "  and  I 
should  like  to  have  Mr.  Worden's  prayers,  united  to  yours, 
offered  up  in  my  behalf.  Corny  will  seek  the  Dominie,  for 
an  old  friend  ?" 

I  vanished  from  the  room,  and  was  absent  ten  minutes. 
At  the  end  of  that  time,  Mr.  Worden  was  ready  in  his  sur 
plice,  and  we  went  to  the  sick  room.  Certainly,  our  old 
pastor  had  not  the  way  of  manifesting  the  influence  of  reli 
gion,  that  is  usual  to  the  colonies,  especially  to  those  of  the 
more  northern  and  eastern  portion  of  the  country;  yet, 
there  was  a  heartiness  in  his  manner  of  praying,  at  times, 
that  almost  persuaded  me  he  was  a  good  man.  I  will  own, 
however,  that  Mr.  Worden  was  one  of  those  clergymen 
who  could  pray  much  more  sincerely  for  certain  persons, 
than  for  others.  He  was  partial  to  poor  Guert;  and  I  really 
thought  this  was  manifest  in  his  accents,  on  this  melancholy 
occasion. 


444  SATANSTOB. 

The  dying  man  was  Telieved  by  this  attention  to  the  rites 
of  the  church.  Guert  was  not  a  metaphysician  ;  and,  at  no 
period  of  his  life,  I  believe,  did  he  ever  enter  very  closely 
into  the  consideration  of  those  fearful  questions  which  were 
connected  with  his  existence,  origin,  destination,  and  position, 
in  the  long  scale  of  animated  beings.  He  had  those  general 
notions  on  these  subjects,  that  all  civilized  men  imbibe  by 
education  and  communion  with  their  fellows,  but  nothing 
more.  He  understood  it  was  a  duty  to  pray ;  and  I  make 
no  doubt  he  fancied  there  were  times  and  seasons  in  which 
this  duty  was  more  imperative  than  at  others ;  and  times 
and  seasons  when  it  might  be  dispensed  with. 

How  tenderly  and  how  anxiously  did  Mary  Wallace 
watch  over  her  patient,  during  the  whole  of  that  sad  day ! 
She  seemed  to  know  neither  weariness  nor  fatigue.  To 
wards  evening,  it  was  just  as  the  sun  was  tinging  the  sum 
mits  of  the  trees  with  its  parting  light,  she  came  towards 
Anneke  and  myself,  with  a  face  that  was  slightly  illumi 
nated  with  something  like  a  glow  of  pleasure,  and  whispered 
to  us,  that  Guert  was  better.  Within  ten  minutes  of  that 
moment,  I  approached  the  bed,  and  saw  a  slight  movement 
of  the  patient's  hand,  as  if  he  desired  me  to  come  nearer. 

"Corny,"  said  Guert,  in  a  low,  languid  voice  —  "it  is 
nearly  all  over.  I  wish  I  could  see  Mary  Wallace,  once 
more,  before  I  die !" 

Mary  was  not,  could  not  be  distant.  She  fell  upon  her 
knees,  and  clasped  the  yielding  form  of  her  lover  to  her 
heart.  Nothing  was  said  on  either  side ;  or,  if  aught  were 
said,  it  was  whispered,  and  was  of  a  nature  too  sacred  to  be 
communicated  to  others.  In  that  attitude  did  this  young 
woman,  long  so  coy  and  so  difficult  to  decide,  remain  for 
near  an  hour,  and  in  that  quiet,  cherishing,  womanly  em 
brace,  did  Guert  Ten  Eyck  breathe  his  last. 

I  left  the  sufferer  as  much  alone  with  the  woman  of  his 
heart,  as  comported  with  prudence  and  a  proper  attention  on 
my  part ;  but  it  was  my  melancholy  duty  to  close  his  eyes. 
Thus  prematurely  terminated  the  earthly  career  of  as  manly  a 
spirit  as  ever  dwelt  in  human  form.  That  it  had  imperfections, 
my  pen  has  not  concealed ;  but  the  long  years  that  have 
since  passed  away,  have  not  served  to  obliterate  the  regard 
so  noble  a  temperament  could  not  fail  to  awaken. 


BATANSTOfi.  445 


CHAPTEE  XXX. 

How  slow  the  day  slides  on  !     When  we  desire 
Time's  haste,  he  seems  to  lose  a  match  with  lobsters  s 
And  when  we  wish  him  stay,  he  imps  his  wings 
With  feathers  plumed  with  thought. 

ALBAMAZAR. 

IT  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the  grief  that  we  all  felt  for 
our  loss.  That  night  was  necessarily  one  of  watchfulness 
but  few  were  inclined  to  sleep.  The  return  of  light  found 
us  unmolested,  however ;  and  an  hour  or  two  later,  Sus- 
quesus  came  in,  and  reported  that  the  enemy  had  retreated 
towards  Ticonderoga.  There  was  nothing  more  to  fear 
from  that  quarter,  and  the  settlers  soon  began  to  return  to 
their  dwellings,  or  to  such  as  remained.  In  the  course  of  a 
week  the  axe  again  rang  in  the  forest,  and  rude  habitations 
began  to  reappear,  in  the  places  of  those  that  had  been  de 
stroyed.  As  Bulstrode  could  not  well  be  removed,  Herman 
Mordaunt  determined  to  pass  the  remainder  of  tbe  season  at 
Ravensnest,  with  the  double  view  of  accommodating  his 
guest,  and  of  encouraging  his  settlers.  The  danger  was 
known  to  be  over  for  that  summer  at  least,  and,  ere  the  ap 
proach  of  another,  it  was  hoped  that  the  humiliated  feelings 
of  Great  Britain  would  so  far  be  aroused,  as  to  drive  the 
enemy  from  the  province;  as  indeed  was  effectually  done. 

On  consultation,  it  was  decided  that  the  body  of  Guert 
ought  to  be  sent,  for  interment  among  his  friends,  to  Albany. 
Dirck  and  myself  accompanied  it,  as  the  principal  attendants, 
all  that  remained  of  our  party  going  with  us.  Herman  Mor 
daunt  thought  it  necessary  to  remain  at  Ravensnest,  and 
Anneke  would  not  quit  her  father.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Worden's 
missionary  zeal  had,  by  this  trial,  effectually  evaporated,  and 
he  profited  by  so  favourable  an  occasion  to  withdraw  into 
the  safer  and  more  peopled  districts.  I  well  remember  as 
we  marched  after  the  horse-litter  that  carried  the  remains 
of  poor  Guert,  the  divine's  making  the  following  sensible 
remarks : — 

"  You  see  how  it  is,  on  this  frontier,  Corny,"  he  said ; 
"  it  is  premature  to  think  of  introducing  Christianity.   Chris- 
38 


446  SATANSTOE. 

tianity  is  essentially  a  civilized  religion,  and  can  only  be  of 
use  among  civilized  beings.  It  is  true,  my  young  friend, 
that  many  of  the  early  apostles  were  not  learned,  after  the 
fashion  of  this  world,  but  they  were  all  thoroughly  civilized. 
Palestine  was  a  civilized  country,  and  the  Hebrews  were  a 
great  people;  and  I  consider  the  precedent  set  by  our  bless 
ed  Lord  is  a  command  to  be  followed  in  all  time,  and  that 
his  appearance  in  Judea  is  tantamount  to  his  saying  to  his 
apostles,  «  go  and  preach  me  and  my  gospel  to  all  civilized 
people.' " 

I  ventured  to  remark  that  there  was  something  like  a 
direct  command  to  preach  it  to  all  nations,  to  be  found  in 
the  bible. 

"  Ay,  that  is  true  enough,"  answered  Mr.  Worden,  "  but 
it  clearly  means  all  civilized  nations.  Then,  this  was  before 
the  discovery  of  America,  and  it  is  fair  enough  to  presume 
that  the  command  referred  solely  to  known  nations.  The 
texts  of  scripture  are  not  to  be  strained,  but  are  to  be  con- 
strued  naturally,  Corny,  and  this  seems  to  me  to  be  the  na 
tural  reading  of  that  passage.  No,  I  have  been  rash  and 
imprudent  in  pushing  duty  to  exaggeration,  and  shall  con 
fine  my  labours  to  their  proper  sphere,  during  the  remainder 
of  my  days.  Civilization  is  just  as  much  a  means  of  provi 
dence  as  religion  itself;  and  it  is  clearly  intended  that  one 
should  be  built  on  the  other.  A  clergyman  goes  quite  far 
enough  from  the  centre  of  refinement,  when  he  quits  home 
to  come  into  these  colonies  to  preach  the  gospel ;  letting 
alone  these  scalping  devils  the  Indians,  who,  I  greatly  fear, 
were  never  born  to  be  saved.  It  may  do  well  enough  to 
have  societies  to  keep  them  in  view,  but  a  meeting  in  Lon 
don  is  quite  near  enough  ever  to  approach  them." 

Such,  ever  after,  appeared  to  be  the  sentiments  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Worden,  and  I  took  no  pains  to  change  them.  I  ought, 
however,  to  have  alluded  to  the  parting  with  Anneke,  before 
I  gave  the  foregoing  extract  from  the  parson's  homily. 
Circumstances  prevented  my  having  much  private  commu 
nication  with  my  betrothed  before  quitting  the  Nest;  for 
Anneke's  sympathy  with  Mary  Wallace  was  too  profound 
to  permit  her  to  think  much,  just  then,  of  aught  but  the 
latter's  sorrows.  As  for  Mary  herself,  the  strength  and 
depth  of  her  attachment  and  grief  were  never  fully  appre- 


SATAttSTOE.  447 

ciatedj  until  lime  came  to  vindicate  them.  Her  seeming 
calm  was  soon  restored,  for  it  was  only  under  a  tempest  of 
feeling  that  Mary  Wallace  lost  her  self-command ;  and  the 
affliction  that  was  inevitable  and  irremediable,  one  of  her 
regulated  temperament  and  high  principles,  struggled  to 
endure  with  Christian  submission.  It  was  only  in  after-life 
that  1  came  to  know  how  intense  and  absorbing  had,  in 
truth,  been  her  passion  for  the  gay,  high-spirited,  ill-edu 
cated,  and  impulsive  young  Albanian. 

Anneke  wept  for  a  few  minutes  in  my  arms,  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  before  our  melancholy  procession  quitted  the  Nest. 
The  dear  girl  had  no  undue  reserve  with  me ;  though  I  found 
her  a  little  reluctant  to  converse  on  the  subject  of  our  own 
loves,  so  soon  after  the  fearful  scenes  we  had  just  gone 
through.  Still,  she  left  me  in  no  doubt  on  the  all-important 
point  of  my  carrying  away  with  me  her  whole  and  entirely 
undivided  heart.  Bulstrode  she  never  had,  never  could  love. 
This  she  assured  me,  over  and  over  again.  He  amused  her, 
and  she  felt  for  him  some  of  the  affection  and  interest  of 
kindred,  but  not  the  least  of  any  other  interest.  Poor  Bui- 
strode  !  now  I  was  certain  of  success,  I  had  very  magnani 
mous  sentiments  in  his  behalf,  and  could  give  him  credit  for 
various  good  qualities  that  had  been  previously  obscured  in 
my  eyes.  Herman  Mordaunt  had  requested  nothing  might 
be  said  to  the  major  of  my  engagement;  though  an  early 
opportunity  was  to  be  taken  by  himself,  to  let  the  suitor 
understand  that  Anneke  declined  the  honour  of  his  hand. 
It  was  thought  the  information  would  best  come  from  him. 

"  I  shall  be  frank  with  you,  Littlepage,  and  confess  I  have 
been  very  anxious  for  the  union  of  my  daughter  and  Mr. 
Bulstrode,"  added  Herman  Mordaunt,  in  the  interview  we 
had  before  I  left  the  Nest ;  "  and  I  trust  to  your  own  good 
sense  to  account  for  it.  I  knew  Bulstrode  before  I  had  any 
knowledge  of  yourself;  and  there  was  already  a  connection 
between  us,  that  was  just  of  a  nature  to  render  one  that  was 
closer,  desirable.  I  shall  not  deny  that  I  fancied  Anneke 
fitted  to  adorn  the  station  and  circles  to  which  Bulstrode 
would  have  carried  her  ;  and,  perhaps,  it  is  a  natural  parental 
weakness  to  wish  to  see  one's  child  promoted.  We  talk  of 
humility  and  contentment,  Corny,  though  there  is  much  of 
the  nolo  episcopari  about  it,  after  all.  But  you  see  that  the 


448  SATANSTOE. 

preference  of  the  child  is  so  much  stronger  than  that  of  the 
parent,  that  it  must  prevail.  I  dare  say,  after  all,  you  would 
much  rather  be  Anneke's  choice,  than  be  mine?" 

"  I  can  have  no  difficulty  in  admitting  that,  sir,"  I  an 
swered  ;  "  and  I  feel  very  sensible  of  the  liberal  manner  in 
which  you  yield  your  own  preferences  to  our  wishes.  Cer 
tainly,  in  the  way  of  rank  and  fortune,  I  have  little  to  offer, 
Mr.  Mordaunt,  as  an  offset  to  Mr.  Bulstrode's  claims ;  but, 
in  love  for  your  daughter,  and  in  an  ardent  desire  to  make 
her  happy,  I  shall  not  yield  to  him,  or  any  other  man, 
though  he  were  a  king." 

"  In  the  way  of  fortune,  Littlepage,  I  have  very  few  re 
grets.  As  you  are  to  live  in  this  country,  the  joint  means 
of  the  two  families,  which,  some  day,  must  centre  in  you 
and  Anneke,  will  prove  all-sufficient ;  and,  as  for  posterity, 
Ravensnest  and  Mooseridge  will  supply  ample  provisions. 
As  the  colony  grows,  your  descendants  will  increase,  and 
your  means  will  increase  with  both.  No,  no;  I  may  ha»e 
been  a  little  disappointed  ;  that  much  I  will  own  ;  but  I  ha\  e 
not  been,  at  any  time,  displeased.  God  bless  you,  then,  mj 
dear  boy ;  write  us  from  Albany,  and  come  to  us  at  Lilacs- 
bush  in  September.  Your  reception  will  be  that  of  a  son." 

It  is  needless  to  dwell  on  the  melancholy  procession  we 
formed  through  the  woods.  Dirck  and  myself  kept  near  the 
body,  on  foot,  until  we  reached  the  highway,  when  vehicles 
were  provided  for  the  common  transportation.  On  reaching 
Albany,  we  delivered  the  remains  of  Guert  to  his  relatives, 
and  there  was  a  suitable  funeral  given.  The  bricked  closet 
behind  the  chimney,  was  opened,  as  usual,  and  the  six  dozen 
of  Madeira,  that  had  been  placed  in  it  twenty-four  years 
before,  or  the  day  the  poor  fellow  was  christened,  was  found 
to  be  very  excellent.  I  remember  it  was  said  generally, 
that  better  wine  was  drunk  at  the  funeral  of  Guert  Ten 
Eyck,  than  had  been  tasted  at  the  obsequies  of  any  indi 
vidual  who  was  not  a  Van  Rensselaer,  a  Schuyler,  or  a  Ten 
Broeck,  within  the  memory  of  man.  I  now  speak  of  funerals 
in  Albany;  for  I  do  suppose  the  remark  would  scarcely  apply 
to  many  other  funerals,  lower  down  the  river.  As  a  rule, 
however,  very  good  wine  was  given  at  all  our  funerals. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Worden  officiated,  and  was  universally  re 
garded  with  interest,  as  a  pious  minister  of  the  gospel,  who 


SATANSTOE.  449 

had  barely  escaped  the  fate  of  the  person  he  was  now  com 
mitting  *  dust  to  dust,'  while  devotedly  and  ardently  employ 
ed  in  endeavouring  to  rescue  the  souls  of  the  very  savages 
who  sought  his  life,  from  the  fate  of  the  heathen. 

I  remember  there  was  a  very  well  worded  paragraph  to 
this  effect  in  the  New  York  Gazette,  and  I  had  heard  it 
said,  but  do  not  remember  to  have  ever  seen  it  myself,  that 
in  one  of  the  reports  of  the  Society  for  the  Promulgation 
of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  the  circumstances  were  al- 
lucled  to  in  a  very  touching  and  edifying  manner. 

Poor  Guert !  1  passed  a  few  minutes  at  his  grave  before 
we  went  south.  It  was  all  that  was  left  of  his  fine  person, 
his  high  spirit,  his  lion-hearted  courage,  his  buoyant  spirits, 
and  his  unextinguishable  love 'of  frolic.  A  finer  physical 
man  I  never  beheld,  or  one  who  better  satisfied  the  eye,  in 
all  respects.  That  the  noble  tenement  was  not  more  intel 
lectually  occupied,  was  purely  the  consequence  of  a  want 
of  education.  Notwithstanding,  till  the  books  in  the  world 
could  not  have  converted  Guert  Ten  Eyck  into  a  Jason 
Newcorne,  or  Jason  Newcome  into  a  Guert  Ten  Eyck. 
Each  owed  many  of  his  peculiarities,  doubtless,  to  the  pro 
vince  in  which  he  was  bred  and  born,  and  to  the  training 
consequent  on  these  accidents ;  but  nature  had  also  drawn 
broad  distinctions  between  them.  All  the  wildness  of 
Guert's  impulses  could  not  altogether  destroy  his  feelings 
tone,  and  tact  as  a  gentleman ;  while  all  the  soaring,  extra- 
vagant  pretensions  of  Jason  never  could  have  ended  in  ele-* 
vating  him  to  that  character.  Alas  !  Poor  Guert !  I  sin 
cerely  mourned  his  loss  for  years,  nor  has  his  memory  yet 
ceased  to  have  a  deep  interest  with  me. 

Dirck  Follock  and  I  would  have  been  a  good  deal  caressed 
at  Albany,  on  our  return,  both  on  account  of  what  had  hap 
pened,  and  on  account  of  our  Dutch  connections,  had  we 
been  in  the  mood  to  profit  by  the  disposition  of  the  people. 
But,  we  were  not.  The  sad  events  with  which  we  had  been 
connected  were  still  too  recent  to  indulge  in  gaieties  or  com 
pany  ;  and,  as  soon,  as  possible  after  the  funeral,  we  seized 
the  opportunity  of  embarking  on  board  a  sloop  bound  to  New 
York.  Our  voyage  was  generally  considered  a  prosperous 
one,  lasting,  indeed,  only  six  days.  We  took  the  ground 
three  times,  it  is  true ;  but  nothing  was  thought  of  that,  such 
38* 


450  SATANSTOE. 

accidents  being  of  frequent  occurrence.  Among  the  events 
of  this  sort,  one  occurred  in  the  Overslaugh,  and  I  passed 
a  few  hours  there  very  pleasantly,  as  it  was  so  near  the 
scene  of  our  adventure  on  the  river.  Anneke  always  oc 
cupied  much  of  my  thoughts,  but  pleasing  pictures  of  her 
gentle  decision,  her  implicit  reliance  on  myself,  her  resigna 
tion,  her  spirit,  and  her  intelligence  were  now  blended,  with 
out  any  alloy,  in  my  recollections.  The  dear  girl  had 
confessed  to  me,  that  she  loved  me  even  on  that  fearful 
night,  for  her  tenderness  in  my  behalf  dated  much  farther 
back.  This  was  a  great  addition  to  the  satisfaction  with 
which  I  went  over  every  incident  and  speech,  in  recollec 
tion,  endeavouring  to  recall  the  most  minute  tone  or  expres 
sion,  to  see  if  I  could  now  connect  it  with  any  sign  of  that 
passion,  which  I  was  authorized  in  believing  did  even  then 
exist.  Thus  aided,  equally  by  Anneke's  gentle,  blushing 
admissions,  and  my  own  wishes,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  re 
calling  pictures  that  were  infinitely  agreeable  to  myself, 
though  possibly  not  minutely  accurate. 

In  the  Tappaan  Sea,  Dirck  left  us ;  proceeding  into 
Rockland,  to  join  his  family.  I  continued  on  in  the  sloop, 
reaching  port  next  day.  My  uncle  and  aunt  Legge  were 
delighted  to  see  me,  and  I  soon  found  I  should  be  a  lion, 
had  I  leisure  to  remain  in  town,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  noto 
riety  my  connection  with  the  northern  expedition  had  cre 
ated.  1  found  a  deep  mortification  pervading  the  capital,  in 
consequence  of  our  defeat,  mingled  with  a  high  determina 
tion  to  redeem  our  tarnished  honour. 

Satanstoe,  with  all  its  endearing  ties,  however,  called  me 
away ;  and  I  left  town,  on  horseback,  leaving  my  effects  to 
follow  by  the  first  good  opportunity,  the  morning  of  the  day 
succeeding  that  on  which  I  had  arrived.  I  shall  not  attemp't 
to  conceal  one  weakness.  As  usual,  I  stopped  at  Kings- 
bridge  to  dine  and  bait ;  and  while  the  notable  landlady 
was  preparing  my  dinner,  I  ascended  the  heights  to  catch 
a  distant  view  of  Lilacsbush.  There  lay  the  pretty  cottage- 
like  dwelling,  placed  beneath  i*.s  hill,  amid  a  wilderness  of 
shrubbery;  but  its  lovely  young  mistress  was  far  away, 
and  I  found  the  pleasure  with  which  I  gazed  at  it  blended 
with  regrets. 

"  You  have  been  north,  I  hear,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  my  land- 


SATANSTOE.  451 

lady  observed,  while  I  was  discussing  her  lamb,  and  peas 
and  asparagus ;  "  pray,  sir,  did  you  hear  or  see  anything 
of  our  honoured  neighbours,  Herman  Mordaunt  and  his 
charming  daughter?" 

"  Much  of  both,  Mrs.  Light ;  and  that  under  trying 
circumstances.  Mooseridge,  my  father's  property  in  that 
part  of  the  province,  is  quite  near  to  Ravensnest,  Herman 
Mordaunt's  estate,  and  I  have  passed  some  time  at  it.  Have 
no  tidings  of  the  family  reached  you,  lately  ?" 

"  None,  unless  it  be  the  report  that  Miss  Anneke  will 
never  return  to  us." 

"  Anueke  not  return !  In  the  name  of  wonder,  how  do 
you  hear  this  ?" 

"  Not  as  Miss  Anneke,  but  as  Lady  Anneke,  or  some 
thing  of  that  sort.  Isn't  there  a  General  Bulstrom,  or  some 
great  officer  or  other,  who  seeks  her  hand,  and  on  whom 
she  smiles,  sir?" 

"  I  presume  I  understand  you,  now.  Well,  what  do  you 
learn  of  him  ?" 

"  Only  that  they  are  to  be  married  next  month — some 
say  they  are  married  already,  and  that  the  old  gentleman 
gives  Lilacsbush,  out  and  out,  and  four  thousand  pounds 
currency,  down,  in  order  to  purchase  so  high  an  honour  for 
his  child.  I  tell  the  neighbours  it  is  too  much,  Miss  Anneke 
being  worth  any  lord  in  England,  on  her  own,  sole,  ac 
count." 

This  intelligence  did  not  disturb  me,  of  course,  for  it  was 
tavern*tidings  and  neighbours'  news.  Neighbours!  How 
much  is  that  sacred  word  prostituted  !  You  shall  find  peo 
ple  opening  their  ears  with  avidity  to  the  gossip  of  a  neigh 
bourhood,  when  nineteen  times  in  twenty  it  is  less  entitled 
to  credit  than  the  intelligence  which  is  obtained  from  a  dis 
tance,  provided  the  latter  come  from  persons  of  the  same 
class  in  life  as  the  individuals  in  question,  and  are  known  to 
them.  What  means  had  this  woman  of  knowing  the  secrets 
of  Herman  Mordaunt's  family,  that  were  one-half  as  good 
as  those  possessed  by  friends  in  Albany,  for  instance?  This 
neighbourhood  testimony,  as  it  is  called,  does  a  vast  deal 
of  mischief  in  the  province,  and  most  especially  in'  those 
parts  of  it  where  our  own  people  are  brought  in  contact 
with  their  fellow-subjects,  from  the  more  eastern  colonies. 


452  SATANSTOE. 

In  my  eyes,  Jason  Newcome's  opinions  of  Herman  Mor- 
daunt,  and  his  acts,  would  be  nearly  worthless,  shrewd  as 
I  admit  the  man  to  be;  for  the  two  have  not  a  distinctive 
opinion,  custom,  and  I  had  almost  said  principle,  in  com 
mon.  Just  appreciation  of  motives  and  acts  can  only  pro 
ceed  from  those  who  feel  and  think  alike ;  and  this  is  mo 
rally  impossible  where  there  exist  broad  distinctions  in 
social  classes.  It  is  just  for  this  reason  that  we  attach  so 
little  importance  to  the  ordinary  reports,  and  even  to  the 
sworn  evidence,  of  servants. 

Our  reception  at  Satanstoe  was  just  what  might  have  been 
expected.  My  dear  mother  hugged  me  to  her  heart,  again 
and  again,  and  seemed  never  to  be  satisfied  with  feasting  her 
eyes  on  me.  My  father  was  affected  at  seeing  me,  too  ;  and 
I  thought  there  was  a  very  decided  moisture  in  his  eyes. 
As  for  old  Capt.  Hugh  Roger,  three-score-and-ten  had  ex 
hausted  his  fluids,  pretty  much ;  but  he  shook  me  heartily 
by  the  hand,  and  listened  to  my  account  of  the  movements 
before  Ty  with  all  a  soldier's  interest,  and  with  somewhat 
of  the  fire  of  one  who  had  served  himself  in  more  fortunate 
times.  I  had  to  fight  my  battles  o'er  and  o'er  again,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  and  to  recount  the  tale  of  Ravensnest  in 
all  its  details.  We  were  at  supper,  when  I  concluded  my 
most  laboured  narrative,  and  when  I  began  to  hope  my 
duties,  in  this  respect,  were  finally  terminated.  But  my  dear 
mother  had  heavier  matters  still,  on  her  mind ;  and  it  was 
necessary  that  I  should  give  her  a  private  conference,  in  her 
own  little  room. 

'*  Corny,  my  beloved  child,"  commenced  this  anxious  and 
most  tender  parent,  "  you  have  said  nothing  particular  to 
'me  of  the  Mordaunts.  It  is  now  time  to  speak  of  that 
family." 

"  Have  I  not  told  you,  mother,  how  we  met  at  Albany, 
and  of  what  occurred  on  the  river."  I  had  not  spoken  of 
that  adventure  in  my  letters,  because  I  was  uncertain  of  the 
true  state  of  Anneke's  feelings,  and  did  not  wish  to  raise 
expectations  that  might  never  be  realized. — "And  of  our 
going  to  Ravensnest  in  company,  and  of  all  that  happened 
at  Ravensnest  after  our  return  from  Ty." 

"  What  is  all  this  to  me,  child  !  I  wish  to  hear  you  speak 
of  Anneke — is  it  true  that  she  is  going  to  be  married  ?" 


(  SATANSTOE.  453 

'  It  is  true.    I  can  affirm  that  much  from  her  own  mouth.' 

My  dear  mother's  countenance  fell,  and  I  could  hardly 
pursue  my  wicked  equivoque  any  further. 

"And  she  has  even  had  the  effrontery  to  own  this  to  you, 
Corny?" 

"  She  has,  indeed  ;  though  truth  compels  me  to  add,  that 
she  blushed  a  great  deal  while  admitting  it,  and  seemed  only 
half-disposed  to  be  so  frank :  that  is,  at  first ;  for,  in  the 
end,  she  rather  smiled  than  blushed.'7 

"  Well,  this  amazes  me !  It  is  only  a  proof  that  vanity, 
and  worldly  rank,  and  worldly  riches,  stand  higher  in  the 
estimation  of  Anneke  Mordaunt,  than  excellence  and  modest 
merit." 

"  What  riches  and  worldly  rank  have  I,  mother,  to  tempt 
any  woman  to  forget  the  qualities  you  have  mentioned  ?" 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  you,  my  son,  in  that  sense,  at  all. 
Of  course,  I  mean  Mr.  Bulstrode." 

"  What  has  Mr.  Bulslrode  to  do  with  my  marriage  with 
Anne  Mordaunt ;  or  any  one  else  but  her  own  sweet  self, 
who  has  consented  to  become  my  wife ;  her  father,  who 
accepts  me  for  a  son,  my  father,  who  is  about  to  imitate  his 
example,  by  taking  Anneke  to  his  heart  as  a  daughter,  and 
you,  my  dearest,  dearest  mother,  who  are  the  only  person 
likely  to  raise  obstacles,  as  you  are  now  doing." 

This  was  a  boyish  mode  of  producing  a  most  delightful 
surprise,  I  am  very  ready  to  acknowledge ;  and,  when  I 
saw  my  mother  burst  into  tears,  I  felt  both  regret  and  shame 
at  having  practised  it.  But  youth  is  the  season  of  folly, 
and  happy  is  the  man  who  can  say  he  has  never  trifled  more 
seriously  with  the  feelings  of  a  parent.  I  was  soon  par 
doned — what  offence  would  not  that  devoted  mother  have 
pardoned  her  only  child ! — when  I  was  made  to  relate  all 
that  was  proper  to  be  told,  of  what  had  passed  between  An 
neke  and  myself.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  I  was 
assured  of  the  cheerful  acquiescence  in  my  wishes,  of  all 
my  own  family,  from  Capt.  Hugh  Roger,  down  to  the  dear 
person  who  was  speaking.  They  had  set  their  minds  on 
my  becoming  the  husband  of  this  very  young  lady  ;  and  I 
could  not  possibly  have  made  any  communication  that  would 
be  more  agreeable,  as  I  was  given  to  understand  from  each 
and  all,  that  very  night. 


454  SATANSTOE. 

My  return  to  Satanstoe  occurred  in  the  last  half  of  the 
month  of  July.  The  Mordaunts  were  not  to  be  at  Lilacs- 
bush  until  ihe  middle  of  September,  and  I  had  near  two 
months  to  wait  for  that  happy  moment.  This  time  was 
passed  as  well  as  it  could  be.  I  endeavoured  to  interest 
myself  in  the  old  Neck,  and  to  plan  schemes  of  future  hap 
piness  there,  that  were  to  be  realized  in  Anneke's  society. 
It  was  and  is  a  noble  farm ;  rich,  beautifully  placed,  having 
water  on  more  than  three  of  its  sides,  in  capital  order,  and 
well  stocked  with  such  apples,  peaches,  apricots,  plums,  and 
other  fruits,  as  the  world  can  scarcely  equal.  It  is  true  that 
the  provinces  a  little  further  south,  such  as  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Virginia,  think  they  can  beat 
us  in  peaches  ;  but  I  have  never  tasted  any  fruit  that  I  thought 
would  compare  with  that  of  Satanstoe.  I  love  every  tree, 
wall,  knoll,  swell,  meadow,  and  hummock  about  the  old 
place.  One  thing  distresses  me.  I  love  old  names,  such  as 
my  father  knew  the  same  places  by ;  and  I  like  to  mispro 
nounce  a  word,  when  custom  and  association  render  the 
practice  familiar.  I  would  not  call  my  friend,  Dirck  Pol 
lock,  anything  else  but  Pollock,  unless  it  might  be  in  a 
formal  way,  or  when  asking  him  to  drink  a  glass  of  wine 
with  me,  for  a  great  deal.  So  it  is  with  Satanstoe ;  the 
name  is  homely,  I  am  willing  to  allow  ;  but  it  is  strong,  and 
conveys  an  idea.  It  relates  also  to  the  usages  and  notions 
of  the  country;  and  names  ought  always  to  be  preserved, 
except  in  those  few  instances  in  which  there  are  good  rea 
sons  for  altering  them.  I  regret  to  say,  that  ever  since  the 
appearance  of  Jason  Newcome  among  us,  there  has  been  a 
disposition  among  the  ignorant  and  vulgar,  to  call  the  Neck, 
Dibbleton  ;  under  the  pretence  I  have  already  mentioned, 
that  it  once  belonged  to  the  family  of  Dibblees ;  or,  as  some 
think,  as  a  pious  diminutive  of  Devil's-Town.  I  indignantly 
repel  this  supposition ;  though,  I  do  believe,  that  Dibbleton 
is  only  a  sneaking  mode  of  pronouncing  Devilton ;  as,  I 
admit,  I  have  heard  the  old  people  laughingly  term  the  Neck. 
This  belongs  to  the  "  Gaul  darn  ye"  school,  and  it  is  not  to 
my  taste.  I  say  the  ignorant  and  vulgar,  for  this  is  just  the 
class  to  be  squeamish  on  such  subjects.  I  have  been  told — 
though  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  heard  it  myself — but  I  am 
told,  there  have  been  people  from  the  eastward  among  us  of 
19* 


8ATANSTOE.  455 

ate  years,  who  affect  to  call  "  Hell-Gate,"  "  Hurl-Gate,"  or 
•'  Whirl-Gate,"  or  by  some  other  such  sentimental,  whirl-a- 
gig  name ;  and  these  are  the  gentry  who  would  wish  to  alter 
"  Salanstoe"  into  "  Dibbleton  !"  Since  the  eastern  troops 
have  begun  to  come  among  us,  indeed,  they  have  commenced 
a  desperate  inroad  on  ma-ny  of  our  old,  venerated  Dutch 
names;  names  that  the  English,  direct  from  home,  have 
generally  respected.  Indeed,  change — change  in  all  things, 
seems  to  be  the  besetting  passion  of  these  people.  We,  of 
New  York,  are  content  to  do  as  our  ancestors  have  done 
before  us ;  and  this  they  ridicule,  making  it  matter  of  accu 
sation  against  us,  that  we  follow  the  notions  of  our  fathers. 
I  shall  never  complain  that  they  are  deserting  so  many  of 
their  customs ;  for,  I  regard  the  changes  as  improvements  ; 
but  I  beg  that  they  may  leave  us  ours. 

That  there  is  such  a  thing  as  improvement  I  am  willing 
enough  to  admit,  as  well  as  that  it  not  only  compels,  but 
excuses  changes ;  but,  I  am  yet  to  learn  it  is  matter  of  just 
reproach  that  a  man  follows  in  the  footsteps  of  those  who 
have  gone  before  him.  The  apothegms  of  David,  and  the 
wisdom  of  Solomon,  are  just  as  much  apothegms  and  wis 
dom,  in  our  own  time,  as  they  were  the  day  they  were 
written,  and  for  precisely  the  same  reason  —  their  truth. 
Where  there  is  so  much  stability  in  morals,  there  must  be 
permanent  principles,  and  something  surely  is  worthy  to  be 
saved  from  the  wreck  of  the  past.  I  doubt  if  all  this  craving 
for  change  has  not  more  of  selfishness  in  it  than  either  of 
expediency  or  of  philosophy ;  and  I  could  wish,  at  least, 
that  Satanstoe  should  never  be  frittered  away  into  so  sneak 
ing  a  substitute  as  Dibbleton. 

That  was  a  joyful  day,  when  a  servant  in  Herman  Mor- 
daunt's  livery  rode  in  upon  our  lawn,  and  handed  me  a 
letter  from  his  master,  informing  me  of  the  safe  arrival  of 
he  family,  and  inviting  me  to  ride  over  next  day  in  time  to 
jake  a  late  breakfast  at  Lilacsbush.  Anneke  had  written 
to  me  twice  previously  to  this ;  two  beautifully  expressed, 
feminine,  yet  spirited,  affectionate  letters,  in  which  the  ten 
derness  and  sensibility  of  her  nature  were  barely  restrained 
by  the  delicacy  of  her  sex  and  situation.  On  the  receipt  of 
this  welcome  invitation,  I  was  guilty  of  the  only  piece  of 
romantic  extravagance  that  I  can  remember  having  com 


456  SATANSTOE. 

mitted  in  the  course  of  my  life.  Herman  Mordaunt's  black 
was  well  treated,  and  dismissed  with  a  letter  of  acceptance. 
One  hour  after  he  left  Satanstoe  —  I  do  love  that  venerable 
name,  and  hope  all  the  Yankees  in  Christendom  will  not  be 
able  to  alter  it  to  Dibbleton  —  but,  one  hour  after  the  negro 
was  off,  I  followed  him  myself,-  intending  to  sleep  at  the 
well-known  inn  at  Kingsbridge,  and  not  present  myself  at 
the  Bush,  until  the  proper  hour  next  morning. 

I  had  got  to  the  house  of  the  talkative  landlady  two  hours 
before  sunset,  put  up  my  horse,  secured  my  lodgings,  and 
was  eating  a  bite  myself,  when  the  good  housewife  entered 
the  room. 

"  Your  servant,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  commenced  this  loqua 
cious  person  ;  "  how  are  the  venerable  Captain  Hugh  Roger, 
and  the  Major,  your  honoured  father?  Well,  I  see  by  your 
smile.  Well,  it  is  a  comfortable  thing  to  have  our  friends 
enjoy  good  health — my  own  poor  man  enjoyed  most  wretched 
health  all  last  winter,  and  is  likely  to  enjoy  very  much  the 
same,  that  which  is  coming.  I  should  think  you  had  come 
to  the  wedding  at  Lilacsbush,  Mr.  Corny,  had  you  not  stopped 
at  my  door,  instead  of  going  on  direct  to  that  of  Herman 
Mordaunt." 

I  started,  but  supposed  that  the  news  of  what  was  to 
happen  had  leaked  out,  and  that  this  good  woman,  whose 
ears  were  always  open,  had  got  hold  of  a  neighbourhood- 
truth,  for  once  in  her  life. 

"  I  am  on  no  such  errand,  Mrs.  Light,  but  hope  to  be 
married,  one  of  these  days,  to  some  one  or  other." 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  your  marriage,  sir,  but  that  of 
Miss  Anneke,  over  at  the  'Bush,  to  this  Lord  Bulstrom.  It's 
a  great  connection  for  the  Mordaunts,  after  all,  though  Her 
man  Mordaunt  is  of  good  blood,  himself,  they  tell  me.  The 
knight's  man  often  comes  here,  to  taste  new  cider,  which  he 
admits  is  as  good  as  English  cider,  and  I  believe  it  is  the 
only  thing  which  he  has  found  in  the  colonies  that  he  thinks 
is  one-half  as  good ;  but  Thomas  tells  me  all  is  settled,  and 
that  the  wedding  must  take  place  right  soon.  It  has  only 
been  put  off  on  account  of  Miss  Wallace,  who  is  in  deep 
mourning  for  her  own  husband,  having  lost  him  within  the 
honey-moon,  which  is  the  reason  she  still  bears  her  own 
name.  They  tell  me  a  widow  who  loses  her  husband  in 


8ATAN8TOB.  457 

the  honey-moon  is  obliged  to  bear  her  maiden  name ;  other 
wise  Miss  Mary  would  be  Mrs.  Van  Goort,  or  something 
like  that." 

As  it  was  very  clear  the  neighbourhood  knew  little  about 
the  true  state  of  things  in  Herman  Mordaunt's  family,  I  took 
my  hat  and  proceeded  to  execute  the  intention  with  which 
I  had  left  home.  I  was  sorry  to  hear  that  Bulstrode  was  at 
Lilacsbush,  but  had  no  apprehension  of  his  ever  marrying 
Anneke.  I  took  the  way  to  the  heights,  and  soon  reached 
the  field  where  I  had  once  .met  the  ladies,  on  horseback. 
There,  seated  under  a  tree,  I  saw  Bulstrode  alone,  and  ap 
parently  in  deep  contemplation.  It  was  no  part  of  my  plan 
to  be  seen,  or  to  have  my  presence  known,  and  I  was  re 
tiring,  when  I  heard  my  name,  discovered  that  I  was  recog 
nised,  and  joined  him. 

The  first  glance  at  Bulstrode  showed  me  that  he  knew 
the  truth.  He  coloured,  bit  his  lips,  forced  a  smile,  and 
came  forward  to  meet  me,  limping  just  enough  to  add  in 
^erest  to  his  gait,  and  offered  his  hand  with  a  frank  manli 
ness  that  gave  him  great  merit  in  my  eyes.  It  was  no  trifle 
to  lose  Anne  Mordaunt,  and  I  am  afraid  I  could  not  have 
manifested  half  so  much  magnanimity.  But,  Bulstrode  wag 
a  man  of  the  world,  and  he  knew  how  to  command  the  ex 
hibition  of  his  feelings,  if  not  to  command  the  feelings  them 
selves. 

"  I  told  you,  once,  Corny,"  he  said,  offering  his  hand, 
"  that  we  must  remain  friends,  coute  qui  coute  —  you  have 
been  successful,  and  I  have  failed.  Herman  Mordaunt  told 
me  the  melancholy  fact  before  we  left  Albany ;  and  I  can 
tell  you,  his  regrets  were  not  so  very  flattering  to  you. 
Nevertheless,  he  admits  you  are  a  capital  fellow,  and  that 
if  it  were  not  for  Alexander,  he  could  wish  to  be  Diogenes. 
So  you  have  only  to  provide  yourself  with  a  lantern  and  a 
tub,  marry  Anneke,  and  set  up  housekeeping.  As  for  the 
honest  man,  I  propose  saving  you  some  trouble,  by  offering 
myself  in  that  character,  even  before  you  light  your  wick. 
Come,  take  a  seat  on  this  bench,  and  let  us  chat." 

There  was  something-  a  little  forced  in  all  this,  it  is  true, 
but  it  was  manly.  I  took  the  seat,  and  Bulstrode  went  on. 

"  It  was  the  river  that  made  your  fortune,  Corny,  and 
undid  me." 

39 


458  SATANSTOE. 

I  smiled,  but  said  nothing ;  though  I  knew  better. 

"  There  is  a  fate  in  love,  as  in  war.  Well,  I  am  as  well 
off  as  Abercrombie ;  we  both  expected  to  be  victorious,  while 
each  is  conquered.  I  am  more  fortunate,  indeed ;  for  he  can 
never  expect  to  get  another  army,  while  I  may  get  another 
wife.  I  wish  you  would  be  frank  with  me,  and  confess  to 
what  you  particularly  ascribe  your  own  success." 

"  It  is  natural,  Mr.  Bulstrode,  that  a  young  woman  should 
prefer  to  Jive  in  her  own  country,  to  living  in  a  strange 
land,  and  among  strangers." 

"Ay,  Corny,  that  is  both  patriotic  and  modest ;  but  it  is 
not  the  real  reason.  No,  sir ;  it  was  Scrub,  and  the  thea 
tricals,  by  which  I  have  been  undone.  With  most  provin 
cials,  Mr.  Littlepage,  it  is  a  sufficient  apology  for  anything, 
that  the  metropolis  approves.  So  it  is  with  you  colonists,  in 
general ;  let  England  say  yes,  and  you  dare  not  say,  no. 
There  is  one  thing,  that  persons  who  live  so  far  from  home, 
seldom  learn  ;  and  it  is  this  :  There  are  two  sorts  of  great 
worlds  ;  the  great  vulgar  world,  which  includes  all  but  the 
very  best  in  taste,  principles,  and  manners,  whether  it  be  in 
a  capital  or  a  country;  and  the  great  respectable  world, 
which,  infinitely  less  numerous,  contains  the  judicious,  the 
instructed,  the  intelligent,  and,  on  some  questions,  the  good. 
Now,  the  first  form  fashion  ;  whereas  the  last  produce  some 
thing  far  better  and  more  enduring  than  fashion.  Fashion 
often  stands  rebuked,  in  the  presence  of  the  last  class,  small 
as  it  ever  is,  numerically.  Very  high  rank,  very  finished 
tastes,  very  strong  judgments,  and  very  correct  principles, 
all  unite,  more  or  less,  to  make  up  this  class.  One,  or  more 
of  these  qualities  may  be  wanting,  perhaps,  but  the  union 
of  the  whole  forms  the  perfection  of  the  character.  We 
have  daily  examples  of  this  at  home,  as  well  as  elsewhere ; 
though,  in  our  artificial  state  of  society  it  requires  more  de 
cided  qualities  to  resist  the  influence  of  fashion,  when  there 
is  not  positive,  social  rank  to  sustain  it,  perhaps,  than  it 
v  M  in  one  more  natural.  That  which  first  struck  me, 
in  Anneke,  as  is  the  case  with  most  young  men,  was  her 
delicacy  of  appearance,  and  her  beauty.  This  I  will  not 
deny.  In  this  respect,  your  American  women  have  quite 
taken  me  by  surprise.  In  England,  we  are  so  accustomed 
to  associate  a  certain  delicacy  of  person  and  air,  with  high 


SATANSTOE.  459 

rank,  thas  I  will  confess,  I  landed  in  New  York  with  no 
expectation  of  meeting  a  single  female,  in  the  whole  country, 
that  was  not  comparatively  coarse,  and  what  we  are  accus 
tomed  to  consider  common,  in  physique ;  yet,  I  must  now 
say  that,  apart  from  mere  conventional  finish,  I  find  quite  as 
large  a  proportion  of  aristocratical-looking  females  among 
you,  as  if  you  had  a  full  share  of  dutchesses.  The  last 
thing  I  should  think  of  calling  an  American  woman,  would 
be  coarse.  She  may  want  manner,  in  one  sense ;  she  may 
want  finish,  in  a  dozen  things ;  she  may,  and  often  does, 
want  utterance,  as  utterance  is  understood  among  the  ac 
complished;  but  she  is  seldom,  indeed,  coarse  or  vulgar, 
according  to  our  European  understanding  of  the  terms." 

"And  of  what  is  all  this  apropos,  Bulstrode?" 

"  Oh  !  of  your  success,  and  my  defeat,  of  course.  Corny,' 
answered  the  major,  smiling.  "  What  I  mean,  is  this  — 
that  Anneke  is  one  of  your  second  class,  or  is  better  than 
what  fashion  can  make  her ;  and  Scrub  has  been  the  means 
of  my  undoing.  She  does  not  care  for  fashion,  in  a  play, 
or  a  novel,  or  a  dress  even,  but  looks  for  the  proprieties. 
Yes,  Scrub  has  proved  my  undoing !" 

I  did  not  exactly  believe  the  last ;  but,  finding  Bulstrode 
so  well  disposed  to  give  his  rejection  this  turn,  it  was  not 
my  part  to  contradict  him.  We  talked  together  half  an 
hour  longer,  in  the  most  amicable  manner,  when  we  parted  ; 
Bulstrode  promising  not  to  betray  the  secret  of  my  presence. 

I  lingered  in  sight  of  the  house  until  evening,  when  I 
ventured  nearer,  hoping  to  get  a  glimpse  of  Anneke  as  she 
passed  some  window,  or  appeared,  by  the  soft  light  of  the 
moon,  under  the  piazza  that  skirted  the  south  front  of  the 
building.  Lilacsbush  deserved  its  name,  being  a  perfect 
wilderness  of  shrubbery ;  and,  favoured  by  the  last,  I  had 
got  quite  near  the  house,  when  I  heard  light  footsteps  on  the 
gravel  of  an  adjacent  walk.  At  the  next  instant,  soft,  low 
toices  met  my  ears,  and  I  was  a  sort  of  compelled  auditor 
of  what  followed. 

"  No,  Anne,  my  fate  is  sealed  for  this  world,"  said  Mary 
Wallace,  "  and  I  shall  live  Guert's  widow  as  faithfully  and 
devotedly,  as  if  the  marriage-vow  had  been  pronounced. 
This  much  is  due  to  his  memory,  on  account  of  the  heart« 
less  doubts  I  permitted  to  influence  me,  and  which  drove 


460  SATANSTOE. 

him  into  those  terrible  scenes  that  destroyed  him.  When  a 
woman  really  loves,  Anneke,  it  is  vain  to  struggle  against 
anything  but  positive  unworthiness,  I  fear.  Poor  Guert  was 
not  unworthy  in  any  sense ;  he  was  erring  and  impulsive, 
but  not  unworthy.  No — no — not  unworthy  !  I  ought  to 
have  given  him  my  hand,  and  he  would  have  been  spared 
to  us.  As  it  is,  I  can  only  live  his  widow  in  secret,  and  in 
love.  You  have  done  well,  dearest  Anneke,  in  being  so 
frank  with  Corny  Littlepage,  and  in  avowing  that  prefer 
ence  which  you  have  felt  almost  from  the  first  day  of  your 
acquaintance." 

Although  this  was  music  to  my  ears,  honour  would  not 
suffer  me  to  hear  more,  and  I  moved  swiftly  away,  stirring 
the  bushes  in  a  way  to  apprize  the  speaker  of  the  proximity 
of  a  stranger.  It  was  necessary  to  appear,  and  I  endea 
voured  so  to  do,  without  creating  any  alarm. 

"  It  must  be  Mr.  Bulstrode,"  said  the  gentle  voice  of  An 
neke,  "  who  is  probably  looking  for  us — see,  there  he  comes, 
and  we  will  meet—" 

The  dear  speaker  became  tongue-tied ;  for,  by  this  time, 
I  was  near  enough  to  be  recognised.  At  the  next  instant, 
I  held  her  in  my  arms.  Mary  Wallace  disappeared,  how 
or  when,  I  cannot  say.  I  place  a  veil  over  the  happy  hour 
that  succeeded,  leaving  the  old  to  draw  on  their  experience 
for  its  pictures,  and  the  young  to  live  in  hope.  At  the  end 
of  that  time,  by  Anneke's  persuasion,  I  entered  the  house, 
and  had  to  brave  Herman  Mordaunt's  disposition  to  rally 
me.  I  was  not  only  mercifully,  but  hospitably  treated,  how 
ever,  Anneke's  father  merely  laughing  at  my  little  adven- 
,-ture,  saying,  that  he  looked  upon  it  favourably,  and  as  a 
sign  that  I  was  a  youth  of  spirit. 

Early  in  October  we  were  married,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Worden 
performing  the  ceremony.  Our  home  was  to  be  Lilacsbush, 
which  Herman  Mordaunt  conveyed  to  me  the  same  day, 
leaving  it,  as  it  was  furnished,  entirely  in  my  hands.  He 
also  gave  me  my  wife's  mother's  fortune,  a  respectable  in 
dependence,  and  the  death  of  Capt,  Hugh  Roger,  soon  after, 
added  considerably  to  my  means.  We  made  but  one  fam« 
ily,  between  town,  Lilacsbush,  and  Satanstoe,  Anneke  and 
my  mother,  in  particular,  conceiving  a  strong  affection  for 
each  other 


8ATANSTOE.  461 

As  for  Bulstrode,  he  went  home  before  the  marriage,  but 
keeps  up  a  correspondence  with  us  to  this  hour.  He  is  still 
single,  and  is  a  declared  old  bachelor.  His  letters,  however, 
are  too  light-hearted  to  leave  us  any  concern  on  the  subject ; 
though  these  are  matters  that  may  fall  to  the  share  of  my 
son  Mordaunt,  should  he  ever  have  the  grace  to  continue 
this  family  narrative. 


